This is the shocking moment an electric grill exploded as a grandmother prepared to cook dinner for her grandchildren.

The family was preparing the appliance for a barbecue when it short-circuited and burst into flames at their home in Udon Thani, Thailand.

CCTV footage shows the elderly woman plugging in the device, which was placed on the floor, on August 31.

Moments later, it began emitting sparks and smoke, prompting her to leap to her feet and grab the little boy standing nearby.

She then rushed to pull away a terrified young girl who screamed in fear as the fire spread along the wire.

Seeing the danger, a quick-thinking woman in the kitchen dashed into the living room and opened a bedroom door to unplug the extension wire from the wall socket.

The flames quickly died down, though thin plumes of smoke continued to fill the house.

No one was injured in the incident.