More than 200,000 portable power banks sold on Amazon have been urgently recalled due to a risk of overheating and catching fire, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced.
The recall affects approximately 210,000 INIU 10,000mAh portable power banks, model BI-b41, sold between August 2021 and April 2022. The lithium-ion batteries inside can overheat and ignite, posing fire and burn hazards to consumers.
The affected power banks have a black or blue casing with the INIU logo and a paw-print LED light on the front. Only units with serial numbers 000G21, 000H21, 000I21 and 000L21 are included in the recall.
The company has reported at least 15 incidents of power banks overheating, including 11 reports of fires. Three of those incidents resulted in minor burn injuries and property damage totalling over $380,000.
Customers are advised to stop using the power banks immediately and visit INIU’s recall page to verify their product serial number and request a full refund. The commission also recommends contacting local household hazardous waste collection centres for proper disposal instructions, as lithium-ion batteries cannot be thrown in the bin.
