BEIJING Three people, including a two-year old boy, died after a Huawei-backed Aito M7 SUV burst into flames following a crash with a truck on a highway in the Chinese city of Yuncheng in the northern province of Shanxi, state media said.

Aito Automobile, a Huawei-backed new energy vehicle brand, is investigating the accident along with traffic police, the company said on its WeChat and Weibo public social media accounts on Sunday.

Aito said data from the vehicle showed it was operating at a speed of 115kph (71mph) at the time of Friday's accident, adding that the airbag opened normally and readings from the battery pack were normal.

The company said it was cooperating with traffic police to provide all necessary data to reconstruct the cause of the accident, and support the families involved.

Video on social media showed bystanders trying to break the window and door of the SUV as it was lodged under the truck with the front of the vehicle engulfed in flames.

The Aito M7, made by Huawei in partnership with Seres Group, was launched in 2022, with Huawei providing technology for the vehicle and help with marketing.

  - Reuters