Australia: Three hospitalised following c house fire caused by e-scooter

Sydney: Three people have been hospitalised after a house fire in Sydney, the capital city of Australia's state of New South Wales (NSW), that authorities believed was sparked by a battery of a charging e-scooter on Tuesday.

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) said in a statement on Tuesday morning that firefighters were called to the home in Woronora, a suburb approximately 20 km south of central Sydney, just before 3 a.m. local time on Tuesday, reports Xinhua news agency.

On arrival, firefighters found the garage of the home fully engulfed by fire, with flames starting to threaten the main residence, said FRNSW.

Five people self-evacuated from the fire, however, three were transported to hospital for smoke inhalation, with one also suffering serious burns.

After initial inspections, FRNSW investigators believed that the battery of a charging e-scooter failed, causing it to go into "thermal runaway," sparking the blaze.

FRNSW said it has responded to 81 micromobility accidents this year, which is an average rate of two per week.