This is the dramatic moment a drag boat engine burst into flames in the middle of a canal race in Thailand.

Contestants were racing across the water on their high-speed wooden vessels during the event organised by a Buddhist temple at the Klong Chao Canal in Samut Prakan when one of the boats caught on fire on October 8.

Footage shows the boat roaring along the canal before its engine suddenly erupted into flames. The pilot and his passengers hopped aboard another boat to escape the burning wreckage, which sank in the water.

Onlookers said there were no injuries from the incident.

Drag boat racing in Thailand sees wooden longtail boats propelled by turbocharged modified engines reach speeds of up 70 mph on narrow stretches of water.

Despite the dangers and regular crashes, it has become a popular sport that attracts spectators.