Superyacht worth £20,000,000 goes up in flames a month after being delivered

A superyacht has gone up in flames on a Mediterranean island just a month after being delivered to its owner.

The 150ft Aria SF vessel caught fire in Cala Saona on the west coast of Formentera on Thursday afternoon, August 11.

Spanish coastguards sent two rescue boats to the area after a mayday call.

In total, nine passengers and seven crew on board abandoned the ship following a failed attempt to put out the blaze.

There were no reports of any injuries.

The black smoke the fire caused could be seen as far away as the neighbouring island of Ibiza.

The superyacht, which only left the shipyard last month, boasted a swimming pool, five bedrooms and a gym. It was due to make its official debut at the Cannes Yachting Festival later this year.

An investigation into the cause of the blaze is underway.

A spokesman for the Spanish Coastguard Service said: “The seven crew members and nine passengers are all safe.

“They were evacuated onto a police boat. The fire is now almost out.

“Two Coastguard vessels, Salvamar Acrux and Guardamar Concepcion Arenal, were mobilised by our co-ordination centre in Palma in Majorca after the alarm was raised around 5pm yesterday/on Thursday.”

The owner of the superyacht has been named as Paulo Scudieri.

The 61-year-old is the chairman of car interior components producer Gruppo Addler, founded by his father Achille in 1956.

Scudieri, who lives in Naples, is Monaco’s Ambassador for Tourism and the founder of a group that owns 19 restaurants in Italy.

It was not immediately clear if he was on board, although specialised yachting websites say the vessel is not currently available for charter.