A delivery man Photo: VCG

 

Ele.me, Alibaba's flagship takeaway-ordering app, has paid the initial medical fees for a deliveryman who set himself on fire in Taizhou, East China's Jiangsu Province, while the incident was still under investigation. 

Ele.me expressed its deep sorrow to Liu Jin, the 48-year-old deliveryman, on Sunday and has paid his medical fees, reported Sina Technology. 

The company has set up a task force to assist in Liu's recovery and launched an investigation into its logistics partner in Taizhou, which reportedly defaulted on its payment to the deliveryman. 

An official from the information office of Hailing district, where the self-immolation took place, told the Global Times on Friday that the delivery service fees being disputed came to around 4,000 yuan ($617.82). 

According to a statement from the information office, the deliveryman from Southwest China's Yunnan Province is being treated at Jiangsu Taizhou People's Hospital and is currently in stable condition. He has been living and working in Taizhou since 2013. 

In October 2019, Liu registered on a part-time job platform and signed a subcontract with the company to which ele.me's logistics partner in Taizhou outsourced its logistics business. 

In early December of 2020, Liu had a dispute with ele.me's logistics partner over the settlement of delivery service fees, which remained unresolved after negotiations. 

Last Monday, Liu arrived at the company again, poured gasoline on himself and set himself on fire after negotiating with the person in charge. 

The fire was put out by nearby residents and Liu was rushed to hospital. 

The local authorities have initiated a joint investigation into the incident and have launched negotiations with ele.me.