The incident was reported around 5:45 pm Monday near the New River Triangle, not far from the Lauderdale Yacht Club on Southeast 12th Court, NBC News reported.
US Coast Guard officials said there were 13 people on board the boat when there was an explosion.
“For reasons that we don’t know yet, a boat exploded, it tossed people into the water, good Samaritans came over right away and started rescuing them,” Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue spokesman Frank Guzman said. “It’s too soon to know how this happened. We have a fire investigator on scene, as well.”
Footage from a surveillance camera captured the moment the fireball erupted on the boat, and showed multiple people spilling into the water.
Guzman confirmed there were 11 patients, including two children, who were initially taken to Broward Health Medical Center.
At least one witness reported seeing an explosion and said they saw multiple people with burn injuries who were brought to the yacht club docks.