New Delhi, April 14 (IANS) A fire broke out at Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD’s industrial park in Shenzhen on Tuesday morning, sending thick plumes of black smoke into the sky.

According to the company, the blaze originated in a parking garage area used for storing test and scrapped vehicles. The fire was quickly brought under control, and no casualties were reported. BYD’s global headquarters is located in Shenzhen’s Pingshan district, where the incident occurred.

Visuals from the site showed flames engulfing a large section of the multi-storey structure, as fire trucks and police personnel rushed to the scene. Emergency teams worked to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading further within the facility.

Initial findings from local fire authorities, corroborated by the company, ruled out any battery-related safety concerns. Investigations indicated that the blaze was triggered by improper external construction activity, and there was no evidence of self-ignition or defects in BYD’s mass-produced vehicles.

Authorities and BYD sought to reassure the public, emphasising that the incident was operational in nature and did not affect customer vehicles or pose a broader safety risk.

While described as an isolated event, the incident comes against the backdrop of previous reports involving BYD vehicles. These include a fire involving a Qin Pro model in Beijing in 2021, as well as earlier cases reported in Shenzhen, Yantai and Yuncheng in 2020. In another instance in September 2023, a BYD ATTO 3 in Thailand emitted smoke while charging. An investigation later attributed the issue to a damaged wire connected to the 12-volt battery, leading to heat buildup and refrigerant leakage, rather than an actual fire.

The latest incident is unlikely to have a significant impact on BYD’s operations, the firm said.

–IANS

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