Moment yacht goes up in flames after 'loud bang': Couple rushed to hospital
At around 5am a loud bang awoke local residents who quickly realised a yacht on the Elbe river, between the Queen Edith Bridge and the Customs Bridge, had caught fire.
A Danish man and woman were aboard the nine-metre-long yacht at the time of the blaze outbreak. They managed to escape the fire at the last minute, suffering minor injuries.
But they were dashed to hospital with suspected hypothermia and smoke inhalation, as per local reports.
According to the police's initial findings: 'The yacht had become stuck the previous day due to low water.'
During the terrifying incident, 41 emergency personnel responded to the scene as well as a special fireboat.
A fire department spokesperson told MDR: 'The fire was already fully engulfed when the emergency services arrived.'
After around an hour of emergency works, the fire had been extinguished, but the boat could not be saved.
Both the Editha Bridge and the Customs Bridge had to be completely closed.
Images from the scene showed thick black smoke drifting over the the Werder, Cracau, and Brückfeld districts. Residents were urged to close windows and doors via a warning app.
The cause of the fire remains unclear and police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the blaze.
Authorities have not ruled out environmental damage following the fire and according to the fire department, the damage is estimated at around £86,000.
It comes after a superyacht was ravaged by fire after a blaze broke out in St Tropez last week.
The dramatic fire unfolded on the Sea Lady II, a 41m boat, which can be chartered from £56,000 a week.
And in January, a yacht that was being rented by music producer and rap artist Metro Boomin burst into flames in Miami.
The 95-foot boat docked in the Miami River outside the strip club Booby Trap on the River, workers at the club told Local 10 News at the time.
But after about 15 or 30 minutes, someone said they smelled smoke coming from the massive vessel.
Strip club employees helped evacuate the roughly 15 guests that were staying on the boat, including Metro Boomin, real name Leland Tyler Wayne.
The yacht was seen burning for hours with extraordinarily high flames. Just before 7am, the vessel sunk into the river.
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