Chinese Man Wants To Bless His New BMW 5-Series, Inferno Ensues

For many, purchasing a new car is extremely exciting and rightfully so. In many cases, it’s often the culmination of years of hard work and there are few better feelings than getting behind the wheel of your new ride for the first time. Sadly, this emotional high didn’t last very long for a man in eastern China.

South China Morning Post reports that the man spent almost $80,000 on a brand new BMW 5-Series and decided to bless it.

To do so, he and a woman covered the luxury sedan with a red banner, set up sticks and various sacrifices before setting them alight to “thank gods for blessing them with a new car and to wish for further good luck.”

Unfortunately, the gods didn’t take too kindly to the gesture.

According to witnesses, roughly 20 minutes after the ritual began, the 5-Series was set ablaze, and by the time fire crews arrived on the scene, much of the car was engulfed in flames. It took more than 10 minutes for the fire to be extinguished, leaving the BMW‘s entire front and mid-section destroyed.

Speaking to local media, the fire department said it will investigate the incident, but said it probably was caused by the blessing ceremony. Curiously, fire crews said this wouldn’t be the first time a mishap like this has happened: last year, an owner lit firecrackers to celebrate the purchase of a new BMW X5, only for it to catch fire and be destroyed. Seems that, for some reason, Chinese gods and Bimmers don’t mix.