Beirut Taxi Driver Burns Car After Being Fined for Breaking Coronavirus Rules

A taxi driver in Beirut, Lebanon, burned his car and tried to set himself on fire on March 24 after receiving a fine for not adhering to coronavirus lockdown measures, according to local reports.

Lebanese media said the army prevented the driver, Salim Khadduj, from setting himself on fire, but said he was hospitalized with some burns.

According to a GoFundMe page set up for the driver, the fine was equivalent to about USD$2,000.

Under the new restrictions, taxis in Lebanon are not allowed to carry more than one passenger, reports say.

Storyful spoke to Khadduj, who said he was carrying three passengers because his “whole family relies on this source of income.” A policeman stopped and fined him, Khadduj said.

Another video that circulated online shows Khadduj falling to the ground as men in military outfits tend to him. The person who filmed that video said Khadduj was also trying to set himself on fire.

A fundraising campaign for Khadduj was launched to help him secure a source of income. According to the GoFundMe page, Khadduj was facing a fine of three million pounds, roughly equivalent to USD$2,000, and he had burned his car in a “moment of anger.” Credit: @al_assmar via Storyful