A driver narrowly escaped death as he ran out of his burning car when it suddenly exploded in the middle of the road.

The incident unfolded along Yongchang Road, in the city of Huludao, in Liaoning Province, north-eastern China, at around 8pm on January 6.

CCTV footage shows the moving vehicle suddenly blowing up in a violent blast and catching fire.

A motorcyclist coming from the opposite direction steered harshly to the right to dodge the burning car that skidded down the street before coming to a stop.

Its driver opened the door and escaped as fierce flames with explosive debris splatted around, causing damage to nearby vehicles and residential windows.

Local firefighters quickly arrived at the scene for rescue efforts. Due to the initial intensity of the fire, by the time the blaze was extinguished, the car had already been rendered unusable. There were reportedly no injuries or casualties.

According to police, at the time of the accident, there was only one male driver, aged around sixty, inside the vehicle.

The driver, who was not identified, had sustained a head injury but was well enough to go to the hospital for medical attention on his own, local media said.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the explosion occurred at the rear of the vehicle, where a gas tank was located, after the car had been converted from gasoline to gas.

According to Mr Zhang, a nearby shop owner, the involved vehicle seemed to have been privately converted and posed a safety hazard.

Traffic police have launched an investigation into the cause of the accident.