E-scooter battery fire traps residents in Bad Gastein building

A fire involving an e-scooter battery forced residents of an apartment building in Bad Gastein, in the Pongau district, to flee through a balcony after smoke blocked their escape route, ORF reported.

Firefighters were called shortly after 8 a.m. on Sunday after the battery caught fire in the Patschgsiedlung neighbourhood. Dense smoke quickly filled the stairwell. Four people were rescued via a balcony, and two were taken to hospital for checks. Other residents escaped on their own.

The Bad Gastein volunteer fire brigade attended with 33 personnel and six vehicles. The Red Cross and police also responded.