Hong Kong firefighters rush to tackle yacht blaze in typhoon shelter after boat bursts into flames

A yacht burst into flames in a typhoon shelter in Hong Kong on Monday, sending plumes of smoke into the sky.

Emergency personnel were called to Aberdeen South Typhoon Shelter when the blaze broke out on the 17-metre boat moored off a shipyard on Ap Lei Chau Praya Road soon after 10am.

Four fireboats, 17 fire engines and one ambulance were sent to the scene, according to the Fire Services Department.

Dense smoke billowed from the burning vessel as firefighters battled the blaze.

A department spokesman said one fireboat towed the burning vessel for a short distance to prevent flames spreading to other boats in the shelter.