(Yicai) Oct. 13 -- Shares of Chinese electronics giant Xiaomi tumbled after the driver of a SU7 Ultra died after a collision caused his car to flip and catch fire on Tianfu Avenue in Chengdu, with rescuers unable to open the electric vehicle's doors.

Xiaomi [HKG: 1810] closed 5.7 percent lower at HKD49.08 (USD6.40) a share in Hong Kong today. The benchmark Hang Seng Index fell 1.5 percent.

The driver of a SU7 Ultra struck another vehicle driving in the same direction before hitting a roadside greenbelt, flipping, and catching fire at 3.18 a.m. on Tianfu Avenue today, according to the Chengdu Public Security Bureau's traffic management division. The deceased is suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol, it added.

According to photos circulating online, the vehicle was a high-performance electric sedan SU7 Ultra. Xiaomi launched the model in February, with its price starting at CNY529,900 (USD74,325).

Many people tried to get the driver out of the burning vehicle but failed to open the doors, The Paper reported. The car was reportedly swerving and moving at over 100 kilometers per hour before the crash.

There have been multiple traffic accidents involving EVs where their hidden door handles, a design that has recently grown in popularity among carmakers, could not be opened due to motor malfunctions, preventing occupants from quickly escaping and hindering rescue operations. This has raised significant public concern over the safety risks associated with the design.

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued a draft version of new regulations requiring each car door to be equipped with a handle that can be released mechanically to ensure that they can be manually opened without any tools in case of an accident, opening it to public comment.

The safety of Xiaomi cars has been under public scrutiny since the company entered the EV market last year. Last month, the Beijing-based firm recalled 116,887 SU7s, or around 30 percent of all delivered autos, via an over-the-air update due to safety concerns with its assisted driving function.

Editors: Dou Shicong, Martin Kadiev