Passengers escape after car is engulfed by flames on busy Dubai road

The incident led to long tailbacks on the street, with several lanes blocked

The car was destroyed in the incident. Dubai Civil Defence

Fire gutted an SUV on a busy road in Dubai, at about 8am on Wednesday.

Video footage of the blaze showed smoke billowing into the sky, with the car engulfed in flames.

The incident happened along Al Qudra Street, after the Emirates Road bridge, towards Arabian Ranches.

Several people escaped before the vehicle was destroyed.

It was not revealed how many passengers there were, or if they were part of a family.

The fire led to long tailbacks on the road, with several lanes blocked.

Emergency services swiftly responded.

“The fire was brought under control by 8.29am and no injuries were reported,” said Dubai Civil Defence.

Pictures of the aftermath showed a charred wreck.

Dubai's emergency services have had a busy new year so far.

Dubai Ambulance responded to almost 500 emergencies involving people who were either sick or injured over New Year's Eve.

Paramedics dealt with 493 cases and treated 542 patients in the 16-hour period from 2pm on Thursday to 6am on Friday.

Khalifa bin Dary, executive director of Dubai Ambulance Services Corporation, said the majority of the reports were for simple or moderate cases, while 25 people were severely injured.