Around 40 boats have been destroyed in a fire at Sardinia’s Nautica Acqua shipyard.
The fire broke out on 22 April at a warehouse belonging to the shipyard which is located in the industrial zone of Cala Saccaia, Olbia.
According to local news reports, plumes of black smoke were visible from several kilometres away as the flames spread, fanned by strong winds.
Five teams from the local fire brigade worked for several hours to put out the flames. No injuries were reported and all of the shipyard’s employees were able to evacuate safely and have been accounted for.
In addition to the fire brigade teams, the authorities also dispatched special aircraft including a helicopter to monitor the situation.
The teams worked to cool the building so as to avoid heat damage to other warehouses nearby.
Accidental
Local news outlets are stating the cause of the fire was accidental but could have started from a vessel that was being worked on. Another theory put forward is that it may have originated from a short circuit or malfunction of the electrical system within the shipyard.
Investigations are ongoing with damage estimated to be in the millions of euros with several load-bearing parts of the warehouse structure also having collapsed.
The owners of Nautica Acqua posted: “No words to say. Only sadness and desperation. We thank everyone who called or wrote. We are fine, so to speak. Our work, our life.”
Nautica Acqua was founded in 2012 by technical manager Raffaele Virdis with the aim of creating a dynamic company with low management costs, able to concentrate resources on product quality.
The shipyard specialises in refits and repairs to pleasure boats and luxury yachts. The shipyard also provides winter storage facilities for boats.
The incident has raised questions about safety protocols and fire prevention measures in similar facilities across the region.
