MAE HONG SON — A Spanish family of four narrowly escaped a life-threatening ordeal Tuesday afternoon when their rental vehicle burst into flames on a winding mountain road in northern Thailand.
The incident occurred at approximately 2:45 p.m. on Highway 1095, the primary route connecting the popular tourist destinations of Mae Hong Son and Pai. According to Mae Hong Son City Police, the family was traveling through the Huai Pha sub-district, about 30 kilometers from the city center, when the vehicle—a Toyota Corolla Cross hybrid—began to malfunction.
The driver, identified as the father of the family, told investigators he noticed thick smoke billowing from the engine compartment. He managed to pull the car over to the shoulder of the road and immediately evacuated his wife and two children.
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Moments after the family exited the vehicle, a loud explosion was heard. The fire rapidly engulfed the entire car, causing it to slide off the road and down an embankment.
“The occupants were in a state of shock but are physically unharmed,” said Pol. Lt. Natthnaphat Wanitcharoenkan, the lead investigator on the case. “However, all of their belongings, including luggage and travel documents, were destroyed in the fire.”
Firefighting units from the Na Pu Pom and Huai Pha Subdistrict Administrative Organizations responded to the scene, but the vehicle was already a total loss by the time the blaze was extinguished.
First responders work to extinguish a burning hybrid vehicle in Mae Hong Son on Christmas Eve. The Spanish family traveling inside escaped just moments before the car exploded.The SUV had been rented from a service in Chiang Mai for a road trip through the region’s notoriously steep and curvy terrain. While the cause of the fire remains under investigation, the incident comes amid recent global recalls for certain Toyota hybrid models involving potential fire risks related to inverter components.
Local authorities are assisting the Spanish embassy in coordinating emergency documentation for the family.
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