PHUKET, 8 August 2019: A luxury yacht Lady D caught fire Wednesday at the Ao Po Grand Marina on the northern coast of the popular holiday island.
“Marina staff were notified of the fire at 0825 Wednesday morning and called the local fire department and also called the Marine Police for assistance as well”, reported Asia Pacific Superyachts head Phuket & Myanmar, Gordon Fernandes.
Firefighters confirmed there were no injuries on the 185 foot-long superyacht, but it took more than three hours to contain the blaze that quickly gutted the yacht.
For security reasons and to prevent the fire spreading to other boats in the marina, the yacht was towed to clear water well clear of the shore.
Refitted and upgraded into a private luxury yacht in 2010, by a shipyard in the US, the ship started its maritime career in 1976 as a US Coast Guard inspection vessel.
The Phuket News reported late Wednesday that the ship’s captain and crew are currently overseas. Just one person was left on board to maintain security on the vessel.
Phuket’s governor Phakaphong Tavipatana visited the marina to oversee operations, while police told local media an investigation into the cause of the fire would get underway immediately.
The Lady D, owned by a Canadian, had just recently returned from Langkawi in Malaysia according to the Phuket News report.
