This is the dramatic moment buffaloes were rescued when the truck they were in caught fire.

A passing motorist spotted the lorry parked on the roadside with smoke billowing from the vehicle, while several men tried to extinguish the flames in Maha Sarakham, Thailand.

Footage shows the truck driver and concerned villagers splashing buckets of water onto the cargo truck, with the cattle still trapped inside, on June 18.

One of the locals then called the fire department to request an emergency water truck.

Moments later, firefighters arrived and began dousing both the vehicle and the buffaloes with water.

After the blaze was contained, they discovered that the fire had scorched the animals' skin.

The driver said the incident was caused by the wheel well rubbing against the rear tyre, generating heat that ignited the straw laid down for the buffaloes in the truck bed.