- A Mercedes EQE caused a big fire in an apartment complex in South Korea on Thursday.
- The fully electric sedan erupted into flames while being parked and not charging.
- 20 residents and 1 firefighter were transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
A Mercedes-Benz EQE sedan exploded in the parking lot of a South Korean apartment complex, causing a big fire. The toxic fumes sent 21 people to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, while 70 other vehicles were damaged.
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The incident took place in the city of Incheon in South Korea and was caught in CCTV footage from the underground parking. The fully electric sedan can be seen emitting white smoke while parked and not charging – most likely coming from the floor-mounted battery. A few seconds later, the EQE erupts into flames, with the fire later spreading to nearby vehicles.
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According to the Incheon Fire Department, the fire broke out around 6:15 am on the first basement floor of the apartment complex. A total of 177 emergency responders and 80 pieces of equipment were deployed to the scene. Local media report it took 8 hours for the fire to be extinguished. Electric vehicle fires are notoriously hard to deal with – although they occur less often compared to those of ICE-powered vehicles.
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Due to heavy smoke, a total of 209 residents had to evacuate their apartments, with nearly half of them being rescued by firefighters from the stairs and the balconies. 20 residents – including seven infants and children aged under 10 years old – were transferred to the hospital after inhaling smoke, alongside one firefighter.
A spokesperson from the local arm of Mercedes-Benz spoke to the Korea JoongAng Daily about the incident: “We can’t confirm details about the exact model and batteries at the moment. We are taking this very seriously and will do our best to collaborate with fire authorities to determine the exact cause.”
The police and the fire department opened an investigation into the cause of the fire. Experts speculate that the EV might have been involved in a collision before the incident, causing damage to its battery and leading to overheating. While Mercedes failed to confirm, the EQE sedan uses a CATL-sourced lithium-ion battery pack, with a capacity of 90.6 kWh.
The fire reportedly caused damage to around 70 other vehicles parked nearby and sent black smoke high into the sky. The complex includes 1,581 apartments in 14 buildings, with the fire department receiving 197 calls.
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