A Volvo burst into flames, severely damaging the vehicle on Thursday, but the passengers, including two children, were safe after escaping.
Highway police reported that a Volvo XC60 SUV caught fire on the outbound direction of M81 about 10.40am at kilometre marker 41 in Nakhon Pathom province.
The fire was followed by an explosion that damaged the car after which firefighters took about 30 minutes to put out.
The incident took place amid mounting discontent of Volvo EX30 model owners after two cars caught fire earlier this month.
The EX30 is an electric vehicle, while the XC60 is a plug-in hybrid version, powered by either electricity or gasoline.
The latest incident took place when a family was in the XC60, with the man driving, his wife by his side and their two children seated in the back. They were heading to Kanchanaburi province.
The man, whose name was not disclosed, told police he noticed a yellow dashboard warning light and shortly after, he and his wife saw smoke emitting from the hood, followed by a burning smell and a fire coming from underneath the car.
The driver said he and his wife hurriedly exited the car with the children and escaped before they heard an explosion. Both adults were slightly injured by the flames.
“With children in the car, the most important thing is safety. I think we should have safety standards,” the man told Channel 3.
“I don’t want to blame the car brand because such incidents can happen. But the cause of the incident must be investigated,” he added.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
His wife, Nan Maneerath, posted on Facebook that she and her husband felt relieved after all family members were safe and thanked people who helped them.
“I never thought this would happen to us. And it should not happen to anybody,” she wrote.
M81 is a motorway linking Nonthaburi and Kanchanaburi.
