BANGKOK, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) — A car caught fire after hitting a tree in south-central Thailand on Tuesday, killing five, local media reported.

Thairath newspaper said the accident happened Tuesday morning when the car veered off, crashing into a tree and falling into a ditch in Chachengsao Province east to Bangkok. The black Benz was on fire after the severe collision, claiming three lives on the spot.

It's reported that the other two passengers seriously injured later died when hospitalized.

According to Thairath, the owner of the car, one of the dead, is an ex-governor of Khon Kaen province. The whole family were on their way back to Bangkok after a visit to Khon Kaen in north Thailand.

The collision is under investigation. Police can't tell who is the driver. They believed that the driver was sleeping when the accident happened.

Surprisingly, the plate number of the car 352, is the same as that of the minibus in a collision in east Thailand killing 25 on Monday.

The death toll from road accidents in Thailand during New Year's holiday starting from Dec. 29 has shot up to over 370 so far.