An electric rickshaw has burst into flames outside one of Britain’s busiest tourist attractions.
Shocking video shows the blaze moments after the pedicab tuk-tuk exploded.
The clip shows stunned bystanders watching the inferno near Harry Potter And The Cursed Child at the Palace Theatre, Soho, London.
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Around 50 people were evacuated from the theatre before firefighters arrived, and one person was injured, although they declined medical treatment.
The area of central London is one of the capital’s busiest and is a magnet for tourists.
The fire is believed to have been caused by the “catastrophic failure” of lithium-ion battery packs, according to the fire service.
The incident happened on Saturday (12 April) at around 6 pm, as reported by Need To Know.
Eyewitnesses reported hearing an explosion and seeing flames reaching four feet high accompanied by popping sounds.
The video shows police and the London Fire Brigade attending the scene.
Police cordoned off the area before a fireman hosed out the flames.
A second video showed the burned remains of the rickshaw.
Electric rickshaws provide tourist rides across London with music and flashing lights.
Harry Potter And The Cursed Child has been running at the Palace Theatre since 2016 and has been visited by millions of people in that time.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “At just after 6 pm on Saturday, Control Officers received the first of around 35 calls to a fire outside a theatre at Cambridge Circus in Central London.
“Firefighters from Soho Fire Station attended and discovered an electric rickshaw fully alight.
“The fire was safely extinguished with damage contained to the rickshaw only.
Around 50 people evacuated from the theatre before firefighters arrived.
“The fire is believed to have been caused by the catastrophic failure of lithium-ion battery packs within a rickshaw.
“One person at the scene was reported by the Brigade to be hurt in their attempt to get away from the fire; however, they declined medical attention from firefighters.”
E-bikes and e-scooters are one of the fastest-growing fire risks in London.
Lithium-ion batteries store a significant amount of energy in a very small space and are much more powerful compared to other types of batteries.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson declined to comment because the fire wasn’t crime-related.
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