Millions of pounds goes up in smoke: Moment massive inferno destroys two luxury superyachts and a tourist boat at Greek port

This is the moment two luxury yachts and a tourist boat were destroyed in an inferno at a Greek port.

Shocking footage shows dark smoke billowing into the night sky late last night as flames engulfed the vessels at Marina Zea in Pireaus.

Explosions could be heard when the flames were raging on the ships, according to local media reports. 

Ten vehicles with 26 firefighters were called in to tackle the raging inferno, working desperately through the night to control the spread by the early hours of this morning.

Fire crews were seen spraying water over the wreckage of one of the vessels late on Thursday - as the coast guard picked up ten people trapped in the heavy smoke from the nearby pier and brought them to safety.

The fire is believed to have started on a tourist ship before jumping over to the two yachts, though authorities have not yet been able to identify the cause. 

Authorities reported that there were no individuals onboard the vessels when the fire broke out.

One firefighter had to be hospitalised with breathing problems after tackling the blaze, but no one else was injured in the large fire.

Ten emergency vehicles belonging to the fire service, three coast guard boats, a floating fire engine as well as private divers were needed to tame the fire through Thursday night.

A spokesperson for the Greek coast guard told local media that the fire was successfully put out in the early hours of Friday morning, shortly after 1am. 

By this morning, the port had been blocked off with a floating barrier to prevent marine pollution from fuel and debris still in the water. 

Firefighters successfully prevented the fire from spreading to more vessels, with the fire service and the coast guard remaining on scene throughout today to monitor the situation. 

Footage from the scene at night shows the water being covered in foam used to extinguish the flames while floating fire engines were throwing water at the still-smoking wrecks.

The boats that went up in flames are the motor yachts 'O'Riana', which is 108ft long, and the 'Libra Y', which is 139ft long, and both have now sunk, according to reports. 

The O'Riana superyacht, which was built by Golden Yachts in 2024, features stunning, brand-new interior and exterior spread over three floors.

Built by Picchiotti in 1977, the Italian Libra Y superyacht can accommodate up to 10 guests and features accommodation for eight crew members.

The third yacht is believed to be a commercial tourist boat and the fire is thought to have started on it, according to reports. 

This comes just a few hours after a stunning Italian superyacht sank off an idyllic Greek holiday island after a member of the crew left a side door open.

The 150ft megayacht 'Ethos', setting renters back a whopping £180,000-a-week, was seen taking in water off the coast of Kefalonia while in the Paleokaravo Bay.

A diver was called in to scout local reefs as guards continue to monitor efforts to recover the yacht after it ran aground in Evretis Bay, where it was anchored. 

But it was later revealed the inflow came after one of the crew left a side door open - and did not have time to close it once the weather 'turned', local media reports.

The five tourists aboard have safely disembarked with the five crew on board, belonging to yacht's hotel staff, Protothema reported yesterday.

The award-winning Maltese-flagged yacht is rented out to up to 12 guests looking for a 'relaxed' charter experience. 

It boasts five cabins, an onboard gym, deck jacuzzi and jet skis, promising guests 'exceptional comfort levels at anchor or when underway'.

Shocking footage showed the vessel off balance on the blue waters around Kefalonia, a popular island in the Ionian Sea known as the setting for Captain Corelli's Mandolin.

A private boat, shown in the footage, was reported to be at the scene as harbour guards monitored the situation.

The cause of the incident is yet to be determined, local outlet Protothema reports.