This is the dramatic moment a toddler was pulled unharmed from the carnage of a horror truck crash in northern Thailand.

The one-year-old girl was riding an 18-wheeler with her parents when the vehicle lost control on a downhill stretch of Highway 118 in Chiang Rai.

The truck accelerated and smashed through the concrete road barrier before plunging into a 35ft ravine below.

Police responded to the crash after receiving a report late evening on August 9. They found the girl's mother dead near the mangled wreckage after being ejected from the truck.

Her husband was injured and trapped in the cabin, while their daughter was heard crying under the vehicle.

Footage shows rescuers wearing headlamps battling to reach the terrified youngster. They spent 40 minutes dismantling parts of the truck before pulling the girl to safety.

She and her family were taken to Wiang Pa Pao Hospital. The wounded father was later transferred to Chiang Rai Prachanukroh Hospital.

Police Colonel Suparb Koenkaew, superintendent of Mae Chedi Police Station, said: 'Accidents in this area are frequent due to the steep, long road and the curve before reaching the Khun Chaeng National Park office. Vehicles involved in accidents often have trouble stopping or braking, or their brakes fail, causing them to veer into the roadside ravine.

'The vehicle involved in this accident was an 18-wheeler truck, which crashed through the roadside protection barrier and plunged into the deep ravine. During the rescue operation, Mae Chedi Police Station issued a warning to drivers on the road to be cautious and installed warning lights to prevent further accidents. The public has also been reminded to exercise caution on the road.'

Despite being one of the wealthiest countries in Asia, Thailand suffers from chronic underinvestment in its highways and education, contributing to its poor road safety levels. Only a handful of African countries are worse.

Thailand has one of the world's worst road safety records. Ministers have set the goal of reducing fatalities from 32.7 deaths per 100,000 people to 12 per 100,000 people by the year 2027.