A luxury yacht, estimated to be worth £1.7m, went up in flames on Tuesday afternoon at its moorings in the US Virgin Islands. No-one was harmed when the motor yacht, Positive Energy, burst into flames causing plumes of black smokes to rise into the air.

The luxury vessel was moored at the Yacht Haven Grande marina in Charlotte Amalie, the capital of the US Virgin Islands. Fire services towed the yacht to a more remote location where they spent most of the afternoon tackling the blaze.

According to Boat International magazine, the 25.6m yacht was built in Taiwan in 2004 and was sold in 2014 when the asking price was $2,350,000 (£1.7m). It was originally named Pomboo but after its sale was changed to Positive Energy.

Crews from the West Indian Company (WICO), which runs a nearby cruise ship dock, helped at the scene, with WICO president, Joseph Boschulte, praising their actions: "We at WICO are grateful that the quick response translated into containment of the fire with no loss of life or injury, nor adverse effect on any of the cruise ships in port or residents in the area."

More about yachts