On the morning of March 30, in Qingdao, Shandong, a sudden explosion was heard in a high-rise residential building in the C District of Jimo Ancient City Community. Thick smoke and flames erupted from the affected floor, with shattered window fragments and chunks of concrete flying up to 100 meters away. Firefighters quickly responded and brought the blaze under control. Fortunately, no one was inside at the time, and no casualties were reported.

According to the fire department, the explosion was caused by lithium battery packs illegally stored in the electrical shaft on the 14th floor. Investigations revealed that the apartment owner, for convenience, had removed the voltage limiters from non-standard lithium batteries used for a modified electric scooter and had stored them long-term in the shaft. The batteries experienced thermal runaway, leading to an initial explosion, which then ignited two illegally parked modified e-scooters nearby, triggering a secondary blast.

Reports indicate that the property management had received multiple complaints about e-scooters being taken into elevators over the past six months but had only issued verbal warnings without taking concrete action. The apartment owner admitted to being aware of the dangers but assumed nothing would happen and continued to store the modified batteries improperly.

Battery safety experts warn that lithium battery thermal runaway can reach temperatures of 1,200°C, far exceeding typical fires, with devastating explosive force. E-scooter batteries should be stored in fireproof cabinets, kept away from flammable materials, and must never have their voltage limiters removed.

Following this incident, Jimo District has launched a citywide inspection of e-scooter fire hazards, focusing on illegal battery storage and unauthorised charging practices.