News On Japan
Society | Dec 23

Lithium-ion battery fires on the rise

TOKYO, Dec 23 (News On Japan) - A recent surge in fires caused by lithium-ion batteries, as captured on footage from a warehouse and during routine garbage collection, is ringing alarm bells at the Tokyo Fire Department.

The video shows a fire breaking out in the warehouse while charging a lithium-ion battery with a non-standard charger. Similarly, flames were seen emerging from a trash bag containing a portable power source, leading to a fire caused by a short-circuit.

The Tokyo Fire Department has reported a significant increase in such incidents, with 166 fires related to lithium-ion batteries this year alone, exceeding last year's total of 150 and marking a record high.

Authorities are emphasizing the importance of correct battery disposal, with residents being encouraged to familiarize themselves with their local municipality's disposal guidelines, especially during the year-end clean-up period, to ensure the safe and proper separation of batteries.

Website: Tokyo Fire Department

Source: ANNnewsCH


MORE Society NEWS

Princess Aiko, the only daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, arrived in Tottori Prefecture on October 19 for her first visit to the region, where she is scheduled to attend a national disaster prevention conference and a symposium on disaster preparedness.

Police in Gunma Prefecture rearrested a 30-year-old man on October 18 on suspicion of murdering his former mother-in-law at her home in Ota City last month, following an attack that also left the woman's eldest son injured.

A 22-year-old woman was killed late on October 17 after a truck rear-ended a car that had stopped following a collision with a deer on the Shin-Tomei Expressway in Shinshiro, Aichi Prefecture.


POPULAR NEWS

Typhoon No. 30 is expected to strengthen significantly as it moves west-northwest toward Okinawa, with the storm located near the Mariana Islands at 3 a.m. on October 19 and forecast to approach the Sakishima Islands by October 23, potentially bringing violent winds, dangerous waves and rough seas to Japan's southwestern islands.

Atsumi Harasawa, a 59-year-old lawyer making her first bid for mayor, won Yokohama's mayoral election on October 18, defeating former Mayor Takeharu Yamanaka, whose resignation over allegations of workplace bullying prompted the vote.

Japan will launch its H3 rocket No. 10 from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture at 4:41 a.m. on October 20, carrying a spacecraft designed to collect rocks and sand from Phobos, one of Mars' two moons, and return them to Earth in what would be the world's first successful mission of its kind.

Burger King Japan has announced that approximately 11.18 million records containing personal information of its official app members were leaked following unauthorized access to its systems between October 2 and October 7.

Japan's first Disney cruise ship will be named "Disney Imagination," with Oriental Land and its partners planning to launch the service in spring 2029, offering a new Disney-themed travel experience departing from Tokyo.

FOLLOW US