Nineteen boats were destroyed by a fire in a boat yard in Tal-Balal, near Gharghur, early this morning.

The Civil Protection Department said 19 boats and yachts were destroyed by the blaze, with personnel managing to prevent the fire from spreading further.  

The operation to put out the blaze, which is believed to have started just after midnight, lasted over seven hours involving four officers, 14 fire fighters, and eight fire trucks. 180,000 litres of water and 7,000 litres of foam were used to bring the inferno under control.

The police said that there were no injuries.

A man who was on site said boat owners were seen crying in the boatyard as months of hard work went up in smoke.  

Photos and video by Baskal Mallia

Photos: CPD deputy director Peter Paul Coleiro