Trapped Xiaomi Driver Dies After Doors Fail To Open In Fiery Crash

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  • Xiaomi SU7 crashed and caught fire in China, killing the 31-year-old driver.
  • Video footage shows one man repeatedly punching the driver’s side window.
  • Shares in the technology giant fell by as much as 8 percent after the crash.

It’s not just Tesla under fire for how its electronic door handles respond after a crash, fire, or even a total power loss. In the early hours of Monday morning, a Xiaomi SU7 in China crashed and erupted in flames, and despite frantic attempts by bystanders to open the door and free the driver, the 31-year-old at the wheel did not survive.

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Chinese media reported that the black SU7 crashed at around 3:15 a.m. The driver of the Xiaomi is said to have lost control, spinning into a wide median strip lined with shrubs and plants before coming to rest on the opposite side of the road in Chengdu. Moments later, the vehicle burst into flames.

Watch: Xiaomi Blames iPhone For EV Taking Off On Its Own

Video captured from the scene showed several men frantically attempting to smash the driver’s window while trying in vain to open the driver’s door. One of the men was repeatedly punching the window, while another can be seen trying to kick it out.

They were soon forced to retreat as the flames spread, waiting for firefighters to arrive. Although the crews managed to extinguish the blaze, they were unable to save the driver.

Early reports suggest the 31-year-old may have been driving under the influence of alcohol.

Questions Over Safety Systems

The Xiaomi SU7 features simpler pull-type exterior door handles compared to some other EVs. As with most modern vehicles, the doors are designed to automatically unlock when an accident is detected or airbags are deployed.

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For reasons yet unclear, that system appears to have failed in this case. The car is equipped with a manual release inside the cabin.

Trapped Xiaomi Driver Dies After Doors Fail To Open In Fiery Crash

Zhao Qing/The Paper

Xiaomi Shares Take a Hit

News of the incident spread quickly, amplified by images and videos of the burning SU7 circulating on Chinese social media, sending Xiaomi’s stock tumbling by as much as 8.7 percent, its sharpest one-day drop since April. Shares eventually closed 5.24 percent lower, erasing billions from the company’s valuation.

More: China Might Kill Electric Flush Door Handles With These New Rules

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In April, three individuals were killed after a Xiaomi SU7 crashed in China’s eastern Anhui province. It has been claimed that the two individuals in the front seats were unable to open the doors as they immediately locked after the crash. An individual was pulled from the rear after an eyewitness smashed out one of the windows, but they died from their injuries.

The incident adds to mounting scrutiny over electronic and semi-electronic door mechanisms in China. Regulators are considering restrictions on such designs amid broader safety concerns, while U.S. authorities continue to probe similar failures in Tesla models.

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