A 54-year-old Singaporean man and a 35-year-old Malaysian woman died in a fiery car crash in Muar, Johor, yesterday morning.

Mr Tay Hock Lai, who was driving, is believed to have lost control of the car, crashing into a telecom box at around 4am.

Mr Tay and one of his two passengers, Ms Chan Choon Siang, died in the car.

Another passenger, Ms Lynette Lim, 44, survived.

The Singaporean woman was admitted to the Sultanah Fatimah hospital in Muar with a fracture to her right arm.

Muar police chief Azman Ayob told The Straits Times that initial investigations showed that the crash had "caused 100 per cent burns" but did not elaborate.

The trio had been headed to Johor to visit relatives, reported Malaysia's China Press.

The car reportedly flipped on its side and caught fire after crashing near a temple in Jalan Bakri.

Photos from news reports showed the charred remains of the Mazda that Mr Tay was driving.

The Star online news site said firemen took about two hours to put out the fire and control the situation, after receiving an emergency call.

A 58-year-old eyewitness, who was at the nearby temple, said he heard a loud boom when the incident happened, reported Chinese daily Nanyang Siang Pau.

He saw a car burning and a young woman frantically asking for help from passing motorists, according to the news report.