A WOMAN committed suicide by setting herself alight in a taxi at the intersection of Fumin Road and Jintian Road South on Monday.
The driver escaped by jumping out of the taxi. The woman s identity was yet to be confirmed because her personal identification was burnt, police said.
The woman bought three yuan (US$0.46) worth of petrol at a gas station on Xinzhou Road 3 before the incident, a Southern Metropolis Daily report said.
The taxi driver, surnamed Mi, admitted arguing with the woman because he thought she would not pay the fare. Mi, 36, has been a taxi driver in Shenzhen for six years.
She got in the taxi at the intersection of Xinzhou Road 3 and Binhai Boulevard with nothing but a cup filled with petrol, Mi said. She seemed to be deep in thought, so I asked her what was the matter. She said there was nothing but kept sighing.
She suddenly said she wanted to get out rather than go to the railway station. Thinking the woman didn t want to pay the taxi fare, I drove her back to Gangxia Village where she got in. I smelt smoke coming from behind so I jumped out immediately. It was too late to rescue the woman.
By checking camera footage, police found the woman bought the petrol from a gas station not far from where she caught the taxi. They said the gas station had seriously violated regulations and would be held responsible.
(SD News)
