A fire broke out near Abu Dhabi’s Marina Mall on Tuesday, sending plumes of black smoke across the emirate’s corniche.
The fire is believed to have begun slightly before noon, after a boat battery caught fire.
Witnesses said firefighters from Abu Dhabi Civil Defence were quick to respond “by road and sea”.
The yacht, named Faris, was docked in the marina by the breakwater. A captain was on board at the time but escaped unharmed.
Mohamed Al Mazrouei, the owner of the 17.7m-yacht, who named the vessel after his son, said he was he was asleep at home when his captain woke him up with the call.
"He said 'there has been a shot of fire and smoke and when I tried to spray it with water my eyes started burning, and the fire is escalating’,” said the Emirati, 44.
Mr Al Mazrouei called the police and asked the captain to try move the boat towards the shore, so the fire would not spread to other vessels.
”He said he could not move it because the engine completely turned off.
"I don't know what happened, our guess is that it was an electric shot or battery issue.”
He said he had not used his yacht since the night before Ramadan, when he sailed it to Lulu Island less than 200m away from the marina.
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A fire breaks out on a boat in a marina near Abu Dhabi's breakwater. The National -
A fire breaks out on a boat in a marina near Abu Dhabi's breakwater. The National -
A docked boat catches fire in the marina near Abu Dhabi's breakwater. Courtesy: Michael Grotzke -
Black smoke rises from behind Marina Mall in Abu Dhabi at around 12pm on Tuesday. Courtesy: Zeid Salman Twitter
"I've had the yacht for around seven years, it had five bedrooms, a sitting room all on the bottom floor, other than the jacuzzi and outdoor terraces.
"My plan was to take it out in Eid, as you know there is quarantine and nothing to do, but anyway alhamdulilah, it’s God's will.”
He said the yacht was made of fibreglass and had wooden and leather furniture, so it was no surprise that a spark turned into a large fire.
"I had taken safety precautions, paced fire extinguishers and had it sprayed with a fire resistant substance. I know nothing stops a fire.”
The yacht is insured but he will have to wait until police conduct an investigation before he can file a claim.
The fire was extinguished just after 3pm.
