Chinese automaker Chery Automobile apologized on Thursday for a vehicle test incident during which the company's vehicle slid down the steps and broke part of the guardrail while climbing the"Stairway to Heaven"at Tianmen Mountain,an iconic tourist site in Zhangjiajie,Central China's Hunan Province,according to a statement posted on its Weibo account.

After preliminary investigation and verification,the direct cause of this accident was that the safety rope's fixing point of the test vehicle unexpected detached,and this caused the rope to wrap around the right wheel,blocking the engine power.As a result,the vehicle then slid down the steps and hit the guardrail,breaking part of it,the statement said,adding that"fortunately,this accident did not cause any personal injuries or damage to the natural environment."

The company said that it sincerely apologized for the damage to the Tianmen Mountain site caused by this test,and pledged to fully repair it,assume compensation responsibility,and handle all follow-up work properly,reads the statement.

"The outcome has exposed our insufficient assessment of potential risks and lapses in detail control during the planning and execution of this test.In particular,we deeply reflect on the public concerns caused by choosing to conduct the test in a public scenic area,"according to the statement.

On Wednesday,multiple netizens shared videos on social media showing a Chery vehicle sliding down and crashing during an attempt to climb the iconic"Stairway to Heaven."The"Stairway to Heaven"at Tianmen Mountain is nearly 300 meters long,with a vertical drop of 150 meters and a total of 999 steps.It is the main path leading to Tianmen Cave.Some netizens believe that using the"Stairway to Heaven,which is meant for tourists,for car testing not only affects the tourist experience,but also damages the scenic area's facilities,according to a report by the National Business Daily.