Horror in Spain as tourist boat explosion leaves 8 injured

Eight people have been injured in an explosion on a 'tourist boat' in the Costa del Sol resort of Fuengirola. Three of the casualties have sustained what are being described as serious wounds and have been taken to hospital.

The incident occurred as the motorboat left the marina in Fuengirola with the alarm being sounded at 12:20pm this afternoon. Witnesses say they saw huge plumes of black smoke in the air which was clearly visible from nearby beaches. It is unknown at this time if anyone Britist was among those injured.

The emergency services raced to the scene with firefighters dousing the flames with hoses from the closest point on dry land.

Locals on jet skis and other ships scrambled to the boat and desperately helped those on board aswell as attempting to put out the fire.

The boat sank as a result of the fire on board, it is currently unclear what caused the massive explosion.

A fisherman working in the area told a local paper: "It was an open boat made of polyester, which is a very bad combination with fuel because it burns very quickly."

The area has now been sealed off and an investigation is underway.

Fuengirola Town Hall said this afternoon in a statement: "The Rescue and Lifesaving Service, the Fire Department, and the Local Police of Fuengirola, as well as the Civil Guard, responded today to a fire on a boat sailing in the marina, near the mouth of the harbor.

"For reasons which are still unclear there was an explosion and the boat caught fire. Within minutes, rescue workers from the Rescue Service reached the crew and brought them to safety.

"A total of eight people were on board. All of them were injured, three of them seriously, and they were placed in the care of emergency medical responders.

"As a result of the explosion, the boat sank and officials from the Andalusian Ports Agency are closely monitoring the situation to assess the need for anti-spill measures."