Luxury BMW catches fire in Phuket: Engine malfunction suspected

A high-end BMW caught fire near a fuel station in Phuket, causing significant damage to the vehicle in the early hours of the morning today, December 15.

The local authorities quickly responded to the incident, extinguishing the blaze to prevent further harm. The owner of the car revealed that smoke began to emit from the engine, prompting suspicions of mechanical malfunction.

At around 12.10am today, the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department of Kathu Municipality received a report of a car fire near a fuel station on the downhill road of Patong, on Phra Barami Road, Kathu District, Phuket. They promptly dispatched a fire truck and local police officers from Kathu Police Station to the scene.

Upon arrival, the officials found an ablaze BMW with an unrecorded registration number of 4258. The intense flame was originating from the engine area. The team quickly acted to douse the fire and prevent it from engulfing the entire car. The area was temporarily cordoned off, and it took approximately 10 minutes to control the fire. The vehicle was then transported and stored at Kathu Police Station.

The initial inspection revealed considerable fire damage across the entire vehicle. The car’s owner, a police officer with the rank of Police Lieutenant Colonel and deputy superintendent of Patong Police Station, was unharmed, reported KhaoSod.

The driver of the car disclosed that he had been driving from the Patong area intending to return to his residence in Phuket city. Upon noticing smoke from the engine, he pulled over, and the fire quickly escalated. He then called Kathu Municipality for assistance to extinguish the fire. Despite the dramatic incident, the suspected cause is likely to be an engine malfunction.

In related news, a high-speed collision between a BMW super-bike and a local motorcyclist resulted in a massive repair bill. The accident, which was captured and shared on TikTok by the user @aof_823, occurred on November 21.

The super-bike rider, who was held responsible for the crash by the police, was given a repair estimate of 400,000 baht by the BMW service centre. Read more about this story HERE.