Dozens of fishing boats were destroyed and two people were injured in a fire in a key port on Ecuador's Pacific coast, the country's risk management agency said on Saturday.
The cause of the fire in the bustling port of Manta in Manabí province was initially unclear. Witnesses reported that welding work was being carried out on one of the boats before the incident, the fire department said. An investigation is under way.
According to authorities, preliminary information indicates that at least 35 boats went up in flames at the port's moorings. These were small and medium-sized fishing boats made of highly flammable materials such as fibreglass.
The fire has been brought under control, the national secretariat for risk management announced. Videos showed flames and plumes of black smoke rising from the water.
