A 76-year-old woman died after an e-bike battery being charged inside Singas Famous Pizzeria in Flushing, Queens, exploded on 4 July, trapping her in the restaurant’s bathroom, the New York City Fire Department said. The victim, identified by local media as Yuet Kiu Cheung, managed to escape the bathroom but was unable to reach the exit before flames overtook her. She was taken to hospital with severe burns and died the following day. FDNY Chief Fire Marshal Daniel Flynn said the battery was stored directly outside the restroom, leaving Cheung no clear path once it ignited, while Commissioner Robert Tucker described the blast as having a “blowtorch” effect. The incident is the first fatal fire linked to lithium-ion batteries in New York City this year; the department has logged 122 such battery fires to date, slightly ahead of last year’s pace. The tragedy has renewed calls for tighter safety standards on e-mobility devices. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said she would press for federal legislation to remove faulty lithium-ion batteries from the market, citing their growing role in residential and commercial fires.