An £80 million British-made superyacht has gone up in flames in a luxury French resort town, EDnews reports, citing The Sun.

The Sea Lady II, which is chartered out for around £70,000 a week over the summer high season, was engulfed with flames in the French Riviera port of Saint-Tropez on Thursday evening.

"Smoke was reported soon after 8 pm (GMT+1)," said a Var department emergency services spokesman.

"The yacht’s forward hull then burst into flames, and then the fire spread to the lower decks."

Two people believed to be crew members aged 24 and 35 were rescued, and both were suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation.

There were no other reported injuries.

While the worst of the blaze was extinguished by midnight, firefighters reported "difficulties boarding the boat," said the source.

He said: "Surrounding yachts were quickly cleared, and we set up anti-pollution barriers.
"This is because it was likely that the boat was sinking into the sea."

As the drama unfolded in a prime berth opposite the Saint-Tropez tourist office, hundreds of tourists looked on, while filming videos and taking photos.