Yacht catches fire off Sandy Bay, all 20 passengers rescued

A yacht carrying more than 20 passengers erupted in flames off Sandy Bay in Sai Wan on Sunday morning, sending thick black smoke billowing across the harbor before emergency crews successfully extinguished the blaze and rescued all aboard.

The alarm was raised at 11.17am when authorities received reports of the vessel fire. Marine police and fire services responded immediately, dispatching patrol boats and fire boats to the scene.

Photos circulated online showed the yacht completely engulfed in dark smoke, its hull blackened by the intense flames.

All passengers were safely evacuated by marine police and transported to the Aberdeen Marine Police Base, with no injuries reported.

Firefighters classified the incident as a second-alarm blaze, requiring multiple water jets from police launches and fireboats to contain the fire.

The cause of the sudden fire remains under investigation by marine authorities.