Blaze rips through new boat in Melbourne, Australia.
The
owners of a new vessel could only watch as an inferno took hold of their boat,
which reportedly had been handed over just hours before.
Four
people were safely evacuated from the boat when the blaze broke out while it
was moored at Central Pier in Melbourne’s Victoria Harbour.
At
the minute, the identity of the boat remains unclear but reports suggest it
ranges between 20m (65ft) and 27m (88ft). Due to the lack of large hull
windows, it is unlikely to be European and possibly from one of the many far
eastern builders.
Smoke
billowed as 40 firefighters tackled the flames from the shore, and a tug was
called to move the yacht away from other boats and prevent the fire from
spreading. People within the harbour area
were warned to take shelter indoors because of the potential danger from the
smoke and fumes.
It took an hour to bring the
fire under control, but damage to the yacht was so severe that it later sank. Concerns
have previously been raised about the number of vessels in the harbour and
firefighting facilities available, and this will only serve to highlight the issues again.
