A brand new electric car burst into flames while it was charging overnight.

The newly bought sedan was left plugged in before it caught on fire at a home in Nakhon Pathom province, central Thailand, in the early hours of January 1.

Footage shows the bright orange blaze ripping through the 1.4 million baht (33,257 GBP) vehicle and spreading to the house nearby.

Firefighters rushed to the scene at around 12:15 am local time. They spent more than an hour bringing the flames under control.

Devastated car owner Pongpreecha Jongjitpipat, 67, said: 'At around 10 pm, I started charging my car. I had bought it for 1.4 million baht on December 31.

'But just after midnight, my sister ran upstairs to call me when she noticed smoke filling the house. I rushed down and tried to put out the fire with an extinguisher, but the flames were too intense, so I called the fire department for help.'

Officers said the MG IM6 was completely gutted with only its trade plate intact.

A police spokesman from the Bang Len district station said: 'Initially, the cause is suspected to be an electrical short circuit. Tomorrow, the homeowner will be summoned for further questioning to determine the true cause of the fire.'


(1 GBP = 42.10 THB)