Man jailed for using unsuitable PMD charger in New Upper Changi Rd fire which killed uncle's fiancee
Christine Tan
The Straits Times
Jan 28, 2026
A man who used an incompatible personal mobility device (PMD) battery charger, which caused a fire that killed his uncle's fiancee, was jailed for seven months.
The tragedy on March 9, 2022, in a three-room flat at Block 27 New Upper Changi Road, led to the death of 26-year-old Nuratiqah Zahari.
On Jan 28, Putra Nur Iman Muhammad Danial Zhang, 22, pleaded guilty to one charge of causing death by performing a negligent act.
District Judge Shen Wanqin said the sentence should be a clear warning to the community of PMD users, especially young users, against negligent charging practices.
Noting that at no point did Putra conduct basic safety checks or make inquiries into the compatibility of the battery charger, the judge said: "Such conduct reflects a persistent indifference to the safety risks and welfare of others."
The court heard that at the time of the incident, Putra was an 18-year-old student who worked part-time as a delivery rider.
He lived in the flat with his two uncles, his grandfather and one of his uncles' fiancee, Ms Nuratiqah, along with four children, including the couple's one-year-old baby.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Hidayat Amir said that when Putra grew tired of carrying out delivery orders on a pedal bike, he decided to buy an e-scooter before March 6, 2022, from an unknown seller.
Putra knew the e-scooter was not registered with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and did not check if it was compliant with regulations.
It did not come with a battery, but the seller showed Putra the steps to install one.
On March 6, Putra saw a spare battery listed for $290 on online marketplace Carousell.
The previous owner had decided to sell the spare battery because he knew it carried a risk of malfunction, said DPP Hidayat.
Putra asked the seller only if the battery came with a charger, but did not ask which charger it would be compatible with when informed it came without one.
He bought the battery because it was the cheapest on Carousell.
His uncle and Ms Nuratiqah scolded Putra for buying an unregistered e-scooter. DPP Hidayat said: "All these scoldings fell on deaf ears."
Borrowed charger from friend
On the day of the fire, Putra decided to charge the battery using a charger he had borrowed from a friend. The charger was not registered and did not display a safety mark.
Putra did not know if the charger was compatible, nor did he ask his friend about it, said DPP Hidayat.
After plugging the charger into an extension socket – which was already connected to a fan and mobile phone charger – Putra connected the charger to the battery before going to his bedroom.
At the time, both of Putra's uncles and Ms Nuratiqah were in the flat, while the baby was in a pram outside the unit.
At around 1pm, one of Putra's uncles smelt smoke and saw the spare battery on fire. He shouted for his family members to leave the flat.
That uncle managed to escape the flat and grabbed the baby, whom he handed to a neighbour, but Putra and the couple were trapped inside. There were 30 calls to the police about the fire.
One neighbour, who was showering in the bathroom at the time, grazed her arm against the heated wall of her unit and sustained a burn on her left arm.
Four people were taken to hospital: Putra, the couple and the neighbour. Ms Nuratiqah was unconscious and was pronounced dead in hospital at around 2.30pm.
An autopsy report found that she had died after inhaling products of combustion, and had suffered burns on 10 per cent of her body.
Putra was diagnosed with a lung injury and superficial burns. He suffered panic attacks and an acute stress reaction after the fire.
The family spent $22,000 in repair costs and had to stay in a temporary rental residence for eight months.
'A Frankenstein-style assembly'
DPP Hidayat called for Putra to be jailed for between four and six months, noting that there has been a persistent problem of overcharging PMDs.
The prosecutor said Putra obtained three separate components from three separate sources – the e-scooter seller, the seller of the spare battery, and his friend who lent him the charger – without knowing whether they were compatible with one another.
"The accused was in essence carrying out a Frankenstein-style assembly," said the DPP.
In mitigation, Putra said he had made a silly and ignorant mistake.
He said: "I was young back then and... just wasn't thinking right. But I felt remorse for the death... and I had trauma from the incident, so I just (stayed) away from anything that was electrical."
When Judge Shen asked why he did not check the compatibility of the charger, Putra said: "I was just very fatigued, exhausted and ignorant."
Judge Shen said the pursuit of shortcuts and cost savings in the use of PMDs can have far-reaching consequences for innocent members of the public.
"Given these risks, the law unequivocally demands that PMD users exercise reasonable care to verify the safety and compatibility of electronic components of PMDs before use – a responsibility that cannot be abdicated regardless of the inconvenience or expense involved," said the judge.
For causing death by performing a negligent act, Putra could have been jailed for up to two years and fined.
Fires involving active mobility devices (AMDs) have been a concerning issue in recent years, as Singapore saw the number of such blazes increase for the second consecutive year in 2024.
AMDs include PMDs, power-assisted bicycles and personal mobility aids.
There were 67 such fires in 2024, up 21.8 per cent from 55 in 2023.
In a September 2025 written parliamentary reply, Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam said the authorities were considering tougher action against sellers and users of non-compliant devices.
He said there were 187 AMD-related fires over the last five years, and about half occurred while the devices were being charged.
On Jan 12, Minister of State for Home Affairs Goh Pei Ming told Parliament that over 70 per cent of residential AMD fires between 2022 and 2025 involved uncertified and modified devices.
LTA said in January 2025 that non-compliant AMDs had led to six deaths since 2019.
To prevent AMD fires, SCDF urged users to purchase only devices with the UL2272 certification from original manufacturers or official retailers.
Devices should not be left charging unattended for long periods of time. They should not be placed near combustible materials or along escape routes.
See something interesting? Contribute your story to us.
Explore more on these topics
