At least 25 people were killed and five remain missing after a fire on a cargo vessel receiving repairs at a shipyard in the northeastern Chinese port city of Qingdao, state media reported on Thursday.
State broadcaster CCTV reported the vessel with 42 people on board caught fire at around 11:15 a.m. local time, and were extinguished around 2:30 p.m. (0630 UTC).”
The ship was identified as the 190-metre (623-foot) long bulk carrier “Ocean Melody,” which sails under a Liberian flag, state news agency Xinhua reported.
Cause remains unclear
Chinese President Xi Jinping issued has “important instructions” to conduct a search and rescue mission, while also calling for an investigation into anyone who could be responsible for the incident, Xinhua added.
Xi said that “all regions and relevant departments must draw profound lessons from this incident, thoroughly investigate and rectify all types of fire hazards”.
It is currently unclear what could have caused the fire.
The vessel was undergoing repairs at Qingdao’s Beihai Shipbuilding Co, part of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), one of the world’s largest shipbuilders.+
Edited by: Wesley Rahn
