Faulty battery cells and modules have been identified as the leading cause of electric scooters catching fire in India in recent weeks, according to the findings of an initial investigation, two government sources told Reuters.

The probe looked into fire incidents involving three companies, including Ola Electric, which is backed by Japan's SoftBank Group, and was the country’s top-selling e-scooter maker in April.

“In Ola’s case, the battery cells were found to be an issue as well as the battery management system,” said one of the sources, who has direct knowledge of the report.

In March, India launched an investigation over safety concerns after a spate of e-scooter fires, including one where a man and his daughter died when their e-bike“went up in flames”.

Ola, which sources its cells from South Korea’s LG Energy Solution (LGES), says it is working with the government on the issue and has appointed an external expert agency, in addition to conducting its own probe. “As per the preliminary assessment of these experts, there was no fault of the Ola battery management system at all,” it said.