4 dead, 2 critically injured in New York City fire caused by lithium-ion batteries, e-bikes

Four people are dead and two more are critically injured after a fire broke out at an e-bike store in Lower Manhattan early Tuesday morning, New York Fire Department Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said.

"It is very clear that this was caused by lithium-ion batteries and e-bikes. There was a very large number of batteries and e-bikes," Kavanaugh said as she stood outside of HQ E-Bike Repair at a press conference Tuesday in Chinatown.

Two men and two women died in the fire, which broke out shortly after midnight Tuesday. Two other women are in critical condition, officials said. 

The store was located on the first floor of the building, while residential apartments were on the floors above.

Kavanaugh said the department had previously written fire violations and conducted enforcement at the store.

"The volume of fire created by these lithium-ion batteries is incredibly deadly," she said. 

The fire department also issued a safety warning Tuesday to not leave lithium-ion batteries charging. The safety video featured lithium-ion powered devices quickly catching fire and exploding.

Madeleine Hubbard is an international correspondent for Just the News. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram.