House fire caused by converted e-bike kills two people

A house fire caused by a converted e-bike killed two people, fire chiefs have revealed.

Emergency services were called to a property in Coventry at around 4.40am on Friday, where two bodies were found.

Residents previously said that a man and woman, who were believed to be a couple in either their late twenties or early thirties, lived in the first-floor maisonette flat.

West Midlands Fire Service says the blaze involved a pedal bike that had been converted into an electric bike, which was stored in the hallway of the property.

They also said the fire, which happened in the Stoke Aldermoor area of the city, was accidental.

A fire service spokesperson said: “Our fire investigators have concluded their investigation at the scene.

“The cause of the fire was accidental and involved a pedal bike that had been converted into an electric bike which was stored in the hallway of the property.”

After the incident, a woman was seen screaming in the street before attempting to run through the cordon.

Several police officers then surrounded the woman in an attempt to calm her down before leading her away from the charred remains of the house.

A neighbour said: “My son woke me up, he said he could see the flashing lights and there was a fire engine.

“It’s awful. I’ve seen them about, but I didn’t know them.

“I’m shocked there’s damage at the top but not at the bottom of the house.

“I can see the windows, they’ve melted out of the frame. They’re all plastic, so they’ve just melted.”

Another woman who lives nearby said: “My husband was woken up by the fire engines and police. They were everywhere in the street and there was lots of people shouting.

“I looked out of my window and it was absolute chaos. I’ve since found out that two people have sadly died.”