A fire aboard a high-powered boat surprised beachgoers and sailors in the waters of south Florida this Thursday, according to a video shared by the account of Instagram Only in Dade, which showed the vessel engulfed in flames and a thick column of black smoke visible from the shore.
The images, taken from the beach, show the boat burning offshore while it remains afloat on turquoise waters. In one of the shots, several outboard motors are visible at the stern, which led many users to speculate about the high value of the boat and the possible causes of the incident.
The original post mentioned only that "a fire on a vessel in the water was reported" and expressed hopes that everyone was okay.
In the comments section, several internet users stated that the occupants managed to escape safely. One of them claimed that the incident occurred during a trip related to MTI heading to Gilbert’s Resort in Key Largo, and maintained that "everyone on board was fine."
However, so far no official details have been released regarding injuries, rescues, or the cause of the fire.
Among the reactions, concern for passenger safety dominated, although there were also many ironic comments and speculations about a possible insurance fraud, without any evidence to support those claims.
Other users lamented the environmental impact due to the smoke and fuel in the sea.
For now, the only certainty is the magnitude of the fire and the rapid virality of the video on social media, where the case has sparked hundreds of comments.
It is expected that the maritime or rescue authorities in the area will provide more accurate information about what happened, including the exact location of the incident and the causes of the fire.
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