Beach goers at the Plage de Pampelonne in St Tropez look on in amazement early yesterday evening (17 July) when a luxury motor yacht caught fire, sending plumes of black smoke into the air.

The 20-metre vessel, which was flying a Belgium flag, appeared to be completely gutter by the fire.

The motor yacht was destroyed by the fire

It is still unclear who owns the yacht and if there were any injuries as a result of the incident.

A video shot by a tourist showed flames and black smoke coming from the multi-million pound vessel while tourists continued to sunbathe on the beach.

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The incident happened yesterday, Monday 17 July, at around 6.30pm.

Plage de Pampelonne is one of the most famous beaches in France and is a popular destination for celebrities.

The likes of Paris Hilton, Leonardo DiCaprio and Elton John have all visited the area.

The five kilometre long golden beach is just outside St. Tropez.