‘My sister and friend died in an e-bike fire – please beware of conversion kits’

A grieving sister whose younger sibling, her friend and their two dogs died in a fire has issued a warning to those considering buying e-bike conversion kits.

Ehsia Johnson-Mall is urging people to beware of the dangers posed by modified or converted e-bikes after her beloved little sister, Natasha, died in a flat fire in Coventry.

Natasha Johnson-Mall, 27, her friend Karlo Bogdan, 24, and their two dogs, Tyagi and Medusa, were in the flat when their self-converted e-bike’s battery caught fire while charging overnight last year.

Ehsia learned about the fire during a frantic and distressing call from one of the sisters’ mutual friends.

She told Metro: ‘Before I could say anything the friend screamed and screamed and screamed ‘Natasha and KB are dead’ and kept repeating it.

‘I shouted at her and told her to stop being so ridiculous and that it wasn’t funny.’

After hanging up from the call, she tried to ring Natasha, convinced that the tragedy was not true but there was no answer.

‘Within seconds, something come over me, my stomach turned and I thought, she’s not joking, Natasha and Karlo are dead,’ Ehsia continued.

Ehsia drove from Birmingham to Coventry, desperate to get to Natasha’s flat, hoping to be proved wrong.

When she arrived, the area was cordoned off but she managed to get past the officers ‘by kicking, screaming, crying’ as she was ‘absolutely hysterical’.

It is believed that the battery attached to the converted bike that caught fire was purchased via a private seller on an online marketplace.

Ehsia said that Karlo had no clue his converted e-bike would cause this sort of danger.

Ehsia’s life since the tragedy has been filled with ‘indescribable pain, discomfort, heartbreak, desperation to have her back’.

Natasha had always said she was always excited about the thought of being an auntie to Ehsia’s children.

Now 33 weeks pregnant, Ehsia said her ‘lifelong dream of becoming a mum has been so heavily and negatively affected by the sheer heartbreak and devastation of not having Natasha with me’.

She is regularly left wondering how she will show her baby how specialtheir auntie was.

Now, ahead of Christmas, Ehsia and the charity Electrical Safety First are pleading with those considering purchasing conversion kits and e-bike batteries to choose reputable high street retailers.

New research by the charity shows just under one in ten people in Britain are considering purchasing an e-bike, e-scooter or conversion kit this Christmas.

Ehsia does not want any other family to experience the heartbreak she has endured.

She said: ‘These are fires that are so fast acting, they consume your whole environment within seconds, and the fumes and toxicity that the fire projects are lethal.

‘I think people think that if you can buy a battery from a well-known marketplace that it must be okay.’

‘Externally a product might appear safe but that might not be true. I also can’t stress enough that you make sure your charger and battery are compatible.

‘Something as simple as a mismatch in battery and charger can be devastating.’

Electrical Safety is also warning buyers not to install conversion kits or modify their bike themselves.

Giuseppe Capanna, product safety engineer at Electrical Safety First, said: ‘With the biggest spending season in full swing in the lead up to Christmas one well intentioned purchase could leave you at risk.

‘Substandard e-bike batteries and poorly made conversion kits can pose a unique threat, unlike other products, because of how much energy is stored in the batteries.

‘If they are substandard or fail, the fires can be so powerful they can decimate a room in seconds.

‘If you’re thinking of buying components to make up an e-bike, it’s imperative you stick to a reputable source and don’t convert your bike yourself, seek out a professional.’

The charity is continuing to urge the government to bring in new laws to tackle the growing risk of battery fires in e-bikes and scooters.

These new laws would place full responsibility on online marketplaces to ensure that the goods they sell, such as the conversion kits, are safe.

A designated safety standard for conversion kits does not currently exist, which is something the charity hopes will be introduced too.

Recent predictions suggest London is set for a record number of incidents this year.

Ehsia shared a simple message with Metro: ‘Please, please, please, do not allow my trauma, to be yours.

‘Be sensible when it comes to purchasing electrical items and follow safety advice provided by trust worthy sources. Never ever ever convert your bike to an e-bike yourself.

‘Don’t ignore this message because you could very well find yourselves in the same position as I am.’

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