The grief-stricken mother of a model killed in an e-bike battery fire in a London flat has called for a blanket ban on e-bikes.
Sofia Duarte, 21, died when a blaze caused by a converted e-bike battery ripped through a flat block on Old Kent Road in Bermondsey, southeast London on New Year’s Day 2023.
She had been staying with her boyfriend at his flat when she was awoken by the fire alarm, but she couldn’t find her way out of the building as the flames spread.
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) says Portuguese-born Sofia – whose 23rd birthday would have been today – was the first person to die in the city as a result of an e-bike fire.
A year on from the death, mother Maria Frasquilho Macarro, 59, and friend Alda Simoes, 46, have launched a petition to change the laws around ownership and storage of e-bikes and batteries.
Sofia Duarte, 21, died when a blaze caused by a converted e-bike battery ripped through a flat block
A year on from the death, mother Maria Frasquilho Macarro, 59, have launched a petition to change the laws around ownership and storage of e-bikes and batteries
The e-bike that caused the fire at the block of flats on Old Kent Road
The campaign – being hosted on Change.org – has already attracted more than 31,000 signatures.
Alda, a close friend of the family, said the devastated mother’s ‘only purpose’ was to use her daughter’s death to inspire change.
Alda said: ‘Maria told me, “I’m just waiting for God to take me now”. She still thinks about Sofia all the time.
‘Trying to change something after Sofia’s death is the only purpose she has.’
Alda and Maria say a complete ban on e-bikes would be the best-case scenario.
But, in lieu of such a wholesale change, they are asking that MPs consider toughening up the laws around ownership.
Their campaign wants better ‘quality control and standards governing the sale of the lithium-ion batteries’.
It also asks for ‘clear guidelines for proper handling and storage of these batteries’ and ‘urgent research…to understand the dangers of conversion kits for e-bikes, batteries and chargers and inform the introduction of specific product safety standards.’
The petition concludes: ‘If measures are not taken, the number of deaths will increase and I am sure nobody wants this.’
Alda, a close friend of the family, said the devastated mother’s ‘only purpose’ was to use her daughter’s death to inspire change
Sofia Duarte, 21, worked in Fabric nightclub alongside her boyfriend
Alda and Maria say a complete ban on e-bikes would be the best-case scenario
Alda, who lives in Tower Hamlets, east London, said she is still coming to terms with the death of her friend.
READ MORE: New safety warning over e-bikes and e-scooters as shocking photos show devastation caused by devices bursting into flames
But she too hopes the tragedy can be used for good.
She said: ‘I remember I had to stop the car to cry when I found out about Sofia’s death.
‘But I had to pull myself together to go and look after Sofia’s mother because I didn’t want to leave her alone.
‘That first night was one of the worst of my life – hearing Maria’s screaming, crying, and begging Sofia to come back.
‘Sofia was a good person with a good heart and she would have done anything for anyone.
‘The only comfort we can find is if we know her death saved the lives of others.’
Mother Maria told the LFB earlier this year: ‘Sofia loved life, she loved to party and she enjoyed her job working behind the bar at a nightclub.
‘Now all I have left is my daughter’s ashes.
‘I really want to make sure her death is not in vain and if I can raise awareness about the dangers of e-bikes and lithium batteries then there will be a positive in this.
‘If we can save someone else’s life, I will take great comfort in that because at the moment I am hurting.
‘I don’t want others to suffer as much as I have done.
‘Sofia meant the world to me and my family. I don’t know how to live without her. It feels like a nightmare and I can’t wake up.’
The 21-year-old died in a horror e-bike fire. Pictured: Damage caused by the fire on the Old Kent Road in south Bermondsey in 2023
Ms Duarte will be remembered as a ‘fun-loving’ daughter who enjoyed dancing, spending time with friends and travelling
Luis Zambrano, also 21, managed to escape by jumping out of his bedroom window
E-bike conversion kits allow an electric motor to be added to bikes – but not all of them are sold with a battery.
Cheaper batteries are available online but they do not always adhere to the UK’s safety regulations.
Previously, Sofia’s boyfriend, Luis Zambrano, revealed how he battled to save her life after she refused to jump out of the second-storey window of his flat.
The pair had been sleeping when the fire at the flat block broke out and Luis managed to escape by jumping out of his bedroom window onto the roof of a Nigerian restaurant.
Recalling the tragedy, Mr Zambrano said he first knew of the fire when he awoke to screaming and ‘white smoke’ in his room.
He told MyLondon: ‘When I opened the door it was really bad. As soon as I opened the door I felt the heat blast.
‘I had never experienced a fire in my life, it smelled like acid. It was really unbreathable, immediately I closed the door. That’s when I said “we are jumping”.’
But Ms Duarte told him ‘no no’ and went to try and exit via the stairwell, he said.
Mr Zambrano ran after her to look for her and said that the next thing he remembered was ‘the impact of my body hitting the roof’.
When he ‘woke up’, Mr Zambrano shouted towards the window for Ms Duarte but she never appeared and the windows began to explode from the heat, sending shards of glass showering into the road.
He was rushed to hospital and treated for smoke inhalation but Ms Duarte died at the scene.
The devastation caused by the fire at the property on the Old Kent Road in south London
Fire investigators believe that the cause of the fire was a converted e-bike in 2014
Sofia’s boyfriend, Luis Zambrano, revealed how he battled to save her life after she refused to jump out of the second-storey window of his flat
Mr Zambrano was told he was lucky to be alive after testing his blood’s carbon monoxide levels. He said he coughed up black soot for six hours.
LFB’s assistant commissioner for fire safety, Charlie Pugsley, said: ‘We’re warning people that cheaper parts bought online are more likely to be unsafe, increasing the risk of a fire.
‘We always recommend purchasing items from a reputable high-street seller.
‘It is also essential to use the correct charger for the battery, otherwise the risk of fire is much greater.
‘The Office for Product Safety and Standards are undertaking research into e-bike fires, but the outcomes from this research need to be released as soon as possible.
‘Conversion kits for e-bikes are a real area of concern for us and there is a need to understand the safety of the product, and whether any specific standards need to be introduced.
‘Along with conversion kits, batteries and chargers also require much-needed legislation to ensure these products are more strictly regulated.’
Alda and Maria are now waiting for a response to the petition from the Office for Product Safety and Standards.