Fire on cargo ship at Qingdao Shipyard kills at least 25 people

According to Chinese official media reports on Thursday (September 10), a fire broke out on a foreign cargo ship being repaired at a shipyard in the Chinese port city of Qingdao, killing at least 25 people and sending five others to hospital with injuries.

China Central Television reported that there were 42 people on board the ship at the time of the incident. The fire broke out at 11:15 a.m. local time and was extinguished at 2:30 p.m.

According to Xinhua News Agency, the ship on fire was the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier "Ocean Melody" with a length of 190 meters.

The cause of the fire is unclear.

According to Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping issued "important instructions" in this regard, requiring all-out search and rescue efforts and "serious accountability in accordance with the law."

Xi Jinping said that relevant departments in all regions must learn from the lessons and conduct in-depth investigations and rectification of various fire hazards.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang immediately issued similar instructions.

The cause of the fire is currently unknown.

The ship was undergoing maintenance at Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., which is part of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), one of the world's largest shipbuilding companies.