A WOMAN has been airlifted to hospital after a gas tank exploded at Upton Marina resulting in a “significant fire”.

The woman, in her 60s was airlifted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. She is in a serious condition.

Emergency crews raced to the scene just after midday on Thursday, with an eyewitness claiming people were thrown from a boat by the explosion, with three vessels, including one 25 feet long, nearly completely destroyed.

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Phil Hickman told us at the scene he had “not heard a noise like it” and described “thick black smoke” filling the sky.

“It was frightening,” he added. A woman, badly burned, and her son, also injured, were airlifted to hospital, we understand, with a total of three people said to be injured.

One witness said: “At least two tenders and the RIB boat was seen rushing there being towed by a large fire vehicle.”

Four fire engines were battling the fire at the scene, they added.

A woman who works at a nearby pub, who did not wish to be named, said: “Heard a bang, and there was an explosion. Upton firefighters were here within minutes. Four boats have been on fire. Heard three people were injured.”

A West Midlands Ambulance Service said: “We were called to reports of patients who had suffered burns after a fire and an explosion. On arrival ambulance staff found three patients who had come off one boat and who had been injured. “The fire on the first boat had spread to two others.”

A man in his 30s was taken by road to the same hospital with less serious injuries.

A second woman in her 60s was taken to Worcestershire Royal Hospital for further treatment.

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