Dramatic footage shows a boat engulfed in flames after it ‘blew up’ along the river Thames.
Witnesses say passengers jumped overboard in the incident in Twickenham, south-west London on Saturday.
Flames could be seen billowing from the 20-foot river cruiser, that was completely destroyed in the blaze, as it sat near to the river bank.
Eight people were rescued in the water by a private boat before the fire brigade got there.
London Ambulance Service assessed three people with minor injuries and one was taken to hospital.
The London Fire Brigade were called to the scene at 3.17pm and by 4.42pm the blaze was under control.
Former X Factor contestant Rhydian Roberts, who came second place in series four, filmed the incident and posted it to Twitter.
He commented: ‘Just watched a boat blow up on the Thames near Twickenham. Happened so fast.
‘Some minor injuries but all on board are now safe! I look this pic after a while. Unbelievable how quickly it went. Dramatic here.’
Alex Petty commented: ‘A little bit of extra drama on the river for the afternoon stroll today.
‘I’m told everyone on board had jumped off, and a few people were being treated at the ferry. But I don’t think that boat will be making it out again!’
A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: ‘We were called at 3.16pm on September 21 to Orleans Road, Twickenham, to reports of a fire on a boat on the River Thames.
‘We dispatched a number of resources to the scene including two incident response officers, an advanced paramedic and our hazardous area response team (HART).
‘We assessed three people with minor injuries and took one to hospital.’
Source: Daily Mail
