A fire broke out near the port of Manta in Ecuador, completely burning or damaging at least 35 boats, the Ecuadorian newspaper El Universo reported.
According to preliminary data from the authorities, 35 vessels were damaged in the fire - 14 skiffs and 21 motorboats, including homemade boats and medium-sized fiberglass vessels, Democrata specifies. Two people were injured and hospitalized with serious burns.
The National Secretariat for Risk Management said the fire was under control, but emergency services remained on the scene to help the injured, assess the damage and determine the exact cause of the incident.
Authorities have denied that the fire is linked to an attack or criminal gangs. "This is not an attack. From the video footage, we see that the fire started on a vessel," said Aurora Valle, governor of Manabí province.
According to preliminary police reports, the fire may have been caused by a welding accident - it started on one vessel and spread to the others when the mooring lines broke, causing the vessel to drift.