An £80m British-built superyacht caught fire in the French Riviera resort of St Tropez on Thursday, sending thick black smoke billowing into the air and sparking a major emergency response.
The blaze broke out on board the Sea Lady II, a 41-metre vessel that can sleep up to 10 guests and is available to charter from €65,000 (£56,000) a week.
Footage shared on social media showed dramatic plumes of smoke rising from the yacht as firefighters battled to gain access to the vessel.
“Smoke was reported soon after 8pm,” said a Var department emergency services spokesman. “The yacht’s forward hull then burst into flames, and then the fire spread to the lower decks.”
Two people believed to be crew members, aged 24 and 35, were rescued from the yacht. Both were suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation but there were no other reported injuries.
Emergency services swiftly moved surrounding yachts away from the scene and deployed anti-pollution barriers to contain any environmental impact.
Officials said the Sea Lady II was likely to sink in the port. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The Sea Lady II was originally named D’Angleterre II and was built at the Souter yard in Cowes, on the Isle of Wight. She was launched in 1986 and underwent a full refit in 2023. She now sails under the Maltese flag.
The yacht has a crew of eight and can accommodate up to 10 passengers in five luxury cabins, each equipped with its own bathroom.
Saint Tropez, made famous by French actress Brigitte Bardot in the 1950s, remains a magnet for the super-rich and is frequently visited by multimillionaire showbiz stars during the summer season.
Arson has been blamed for several fires along France’s Mediterranean coast this summer, during an ongoing heatwave.
In nearby Nice, a suspected “malicious act” caused major power outages after an electrical facility was damaged last month, according to the city’s mayor, Christian Estrosi. A similar incident occurred in Cannes at the end of the town’s world-famous film festival in May.
