Boats go up in smoke

A MASSIVE fire laid waste to dozens of boats at a Bali port yesterday as firefighters battled to bring the dramatic blaze under control.

The fire started around after midnight on the Indonesian holiday island and quickly engulfed nearly 40 local vessels but no injuries were reported, police said. Images from Benoa port, which sits next to the popular tourist hub of Kuta, showed flames shooting into the night sky and huge plumes of black smoke. Firefighters were still trying to put out the blaze by mid-morning. Several witnesses suspected the fire was started by an electrical malfunction, but authorities said they were still investigating the cause.