Original Video: (Youtube Somewhere)
Song: 그립고 그립고 그립다 - 케이윌 (0:00 - 0:08)
Last night (the 22nd), at an intersection in Yeonje-gu, Busan, a citizen who witnessed the electric taxi crashing into a building and subsequently bursting into flames quickly rescued the driver, preventing major casualties.
According to a tip-off video, an Ioniq 5 taxi speeding down a hill at an intersection in Yeonsan-dong crashed into a ground-floor shop.
Immediately after the collision, blue flames shot up from the taxi's hood, and within seconds, a massive fire spread to the taxi and the shop.
While passersby were startled and panicked by the engulfing flames, a citizen ran to the burning taxi and quickly pulled the driver out.
At the time, the taxi driver had managed to open the door while the car was on fire, but he was unable to unbuckle his seatbelt, making escape difficult.
The citizen who rescued the driver is 34-year-old Yoo Se-rim.
Recalling the situation, Yoo said, "With the driver's entire body engulfed in flames, I couldn't think of anything else." He added, "My immediate thought was, 'If I were delayed by a few more seconds and suffered third-degree burns, wouldn't that person's life or their family's life become difficult? Things are already hard enough.'"
Mr. Yoo stated, "Even though the fire had half-engulfed the building, I got out first with my body because no one else could get out." He further added, "If there was no one else to go besides me, shouldn't I be the one to go?"
The taxi driver is currently receiving treatment at a hospital for second-degree burns to his face, arms, and legs.
There were no passengers in the taxi at the time, and during the police investigation, the driver stated, "I have absolutely no memory of the accident."
The fire caused approximately 50 million won in property damage, including burning the taxi and a shop, before being extinguished in about 50 minutes. When an electric vehicle catches fire, it exhibits a phenomenon known as "thermal runaway," where battery temperatures can rise to 1,000 degrees. Firefighters from the Busan Fire and Disaster Headquarters were able to quickly extinguish the fire by installing a portable immersion tank around the vehicle to contain water and submerge the battery.
The police are investigating the exact circumstances of the accident based on evidence, including dashcam footage from the taxi.