At around 5:07 AM on 19 February, a seven-seater car entered Zhongtu Energy Petrol Station in Balityai Town, Jinnan District, Tianjin, to refuel. As the vehicle approached the fuel pump, a sudden fuel tank leak caused petrol to spill onto the ground.

Noticing the leak, the station staff immediately removed the fuel nozzle and alerted the driver. As the driver stepped out to check, static electricity ignited the spilled petrol, causing flames to erupt over two metres high from beneath the car.

The driver attempted to move the vehicle away from the fuel pumps, but the severe fuel leak caused it to stall just a metre from its original position. Meanwhile, petrol station staff quickly grabbed fire extinguishers to contain the fire. The driver also assisted in putting out flames that had ignited a female passenger’s clothing.

After two minutes of intense firefighting, the blaze was temporarily extinguished, and the vehicle was pushed 20 metres away from the station. However, flames reignited in the engine compartment, prompting the driver to call 119 for emergency assistance.

Tianjin Fire and Rescue dispatched three fire trucks and 17 firefighters, who evacuated bystanders and used foam water jets to suppress the fire while securing the petrol spill to prevent further ignition. The fire was fully extinguished, and firefighters cooled the engine and undercarriage to prevent reignition.

The vehicle was severely damaged, and the female passenger suffered burns but is in stable condition. Authorities are investigating the cause of the incident.