Several people have been lucky to escape with their lives after a faulty e-bike battery sparked a fire that engulfed a Sydney beachside apartment block.
The e-bike had been left on to charge in a bedroom overnight, prompting warnings from fire authorities of the risks posed by lithium-ion batteries.
Four people from South America were asleep inside the North Bondi unit when the blaze broke out shortly before 4am on Friday, Fire and Rescue NSW said.
The group lost all their personal possessions - including passports, phones and bank records - with the apartment largely gutted in the fire.
One of the four was woken by the sound of small explosions and alerted the others before fleeing the smoke-filled building.
Two of the group were forced to escape through a window, while 14 people from adjoining units were also evacuated as a precaution.
Fire crews attended the scene and quickly extinguished the fire, containing the damage to the unit in which the blaze started.
The building's automatic fire door activated, helping limit the spread of fire and smoke through the building, which was fitted with working smoke alarms.
Fire authorities issued a renewed warning that faulty or over-charged lithium-ion batteries posed a serious safety risk.
The batteries can explode, causing intense fires that are extremely difficult to extinguish and are at risk of re-igniting.
FRNSW advised people to choose reputable and compatible lithium-ion battery brands and avoid over-charging devices while asleep or away from home.
