A fire aboard a cargo ship undergoing repairs at a Chinese shipyard has killed 25 people, state media reported on Thursday, with rescuers still searching for those unaccounted for at the port of Qingdao on the country’s northeastern coast, says AP.
The blaze broke out around 11am local time on the Liberian-flagged Ocean Melody while it was docked for maintenance at Beihai Shipbuilding Co, a major yard in Qingdao, according to the official Xinhua news agency. A photograph released by Xinhua identified the vessel, whose flag registration was confirmed by the tracking website VesselFinder.
Of the 42 people aboard at the time, 12 were safely evacuated and five were taken to hospital with injuries, Xinhua said, adding that they were in a stable condition. Footage circulating online showed crew and workers attempting to douse the flames before firefighters brought the blaze under control by 2:30pm, roughly three-and-a-half hours after it began.
President Xi Jinping issued what state media described as “important instructions” ordering an urgent search for those still missing, while Premier Li Qiang called for efforts to rescue anyone trapped aboard the vessel. Xi also urged authorities to ensure preventive safety measures were properly enforced to head off any further major accidents.
Beihai Shipbuilding forms part of the state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corporation, described on its website as the world’s largest shipbuilder, with operations spanning both vessel construction and repair.
