A Nanjing man was almost burned alive in his BMW because he was so engrossed playing a mobile phone game, according to local reports.

This latest in a long line of “crazy Chinese gamer” yarns for once doesn’t involve murder, physical abuse or other tragedy, with the BMW owner escaping with his life.

A passer-by, surnamed Wang, was walking down Nanjing’s Huxu street when he noticed the parked Beamer’s undercarriage was on fire, according to QQ Tech (via GamesInAsia).

Spotting the game-obsessed driver inside unaware of the rapidly spreading fire, he apparently shouted at him to put down his phone and get out of the car before it turned into a metal coffin.

Some time later, although it’s not clear exactly how long or how big the fire was at this stage, the entire vehicle went up in flames.

Fire fighters and police rushed to the scene but were apparently unable to save the vehicle, which is pictured as a burnt-out wreck.

The tale doesn’t quite compare with the stories of murders, knives through skulls and deadly seven-day gaming binges which surface periodically in the Middle Kingdom.

However, it will still add weight to the argument of some hardline commentators that video games are destroying the nation’s youth.

In a now infamous outburst university professor Tao Hongkai likened those who earn a living playing video games to drug dealers.

One wonders if the story would have garnered as much interest if the BMW owner had simply been engrossed in a book when his car caught fire. ®