Workers work on the assembly line at a factory of vehicle manufacturer BYD Auto in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Feb. 25, 2020.(Photo: Xinhua)

Chinese auto maker BYD said that a vehicle fire accident which occurred on Sunday did not cause injuries, and it will report to police to stop "malicious disinformation" about the accident, according to a report released by Cailian Press on Monday.

The company's statement came after that a driver was reportedly dead in a vehicle fire accident on Sunday in Zhongshan, South China's Guangdong Province. Some netizens posted photos and video clips about the burning car on Chinese social media Weibo, which has triggered public concerns about the safety of BYD vehicles.

BYD stated that the battery did not catch on fire, and the specific cause of the fire is under investigation. In response to the fake news about the driver's "death", the company said that it will contact the police for the doctored videos and other malicious misinformation.

It was not the first time that media outlets reported a fire accident related to BYD cars. In November 2021, a netizen alleged that a BYD car exploded in an underground garage in Beijing. Later, the company said that the fire had been extinguished in time with no casualties caused.

In December 2021, the sales of new energy vehicles in China totaled 505,000 units, a year-on-year increase of 138.9 percent. Among them, BYD led the way, with sales of 93,338 units, data from the China Passenger Car Association revealed.

Global Times