Frenchman escapes flaming car on Phuket hill [video]

PHUKET: A French tourist narrowly escaped injuries after his Thai girlfriend’s car erupted into flames on Patong Hill this afternoon.

Bernard Louis Joseph Hazebrouco fled the Toyota Vios after a fire broke out in the engine and then quickly spread, Maj Teerasak Boonsang of the Patong Police told the Phuket Gazette today.

“It took firefighters about 20 minutes to put out the flames, which had caused a significant tailback,” Maj Teerasak said.

“Mr Hazebrouco, who was borrowing his girlfriend’s car, has no idea how the fire started. The car hadn’t been converted into a natural gas vehicle (NGV), which is a common cause for this kind of fire.”

A forensics team will investigate to determine what started the blaze, Maj Teerasak confirmed.

— Kritsada Mueanhawong