British couple seriously injured after boat explodes

They both suffered severe burns.

A British couple were thrown from a boat and seriously injured after it exploded in Majorca.

The pair, a 44-year-old man and 30-year-old woman, suffered second-degree burns in the blast at the Port of Palma today.

They were reportedly handling the engine of a Zodiac-type semi-rigid boat at the time.

Both of them were rushed to hospital with severe burns to their face and arms, as well as less serious injuries to other parts of their bodies.

Another vessel nearby also caught alight.

Footage from the scene showed a plume of black smoke rising into the air which was visible from several miles away.

Police and other emergency responders including firefighters and paramedics raced to the scene after a series of emergency calls alerting the authorities to the incident shortly after noon.

The fire was extinguished quickly but both vessels affected ended up sinking.

The hospital the Brits have been taken to have not been named but it is understood to be a private clinic.

Elsewhere today, a man was also thrown overboard when two yachts crashed during a boat race in the Isle of Wight.

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