Cargo Ship Fire Kills 25 at China Port

A cargo ship fire in eastern China has killed 25 people after a blaze broke out aboard a foreign-flagged vessel at a port in Qingdao.

The fire started at about 11:15 local time (03:15 GMT) while the vessel was undergoing maintenance at a shipyard. Firefighters extinguished the blaze slightly more than three hours later.

According to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, 42 people were on board the ship when the fire began. Seventeen people were evacuated, while five of those rescued were taken to hospital in stable condition.

Chinese state media identified the vessel as the Ocean Melody, a 190-metre (623ft) cargo carrier registered under the Liberian flag. Ship-tracking website MarineTraffic reported that the vessel arrived in Qingdao on August 31.

The cargo ship fire prompted senior Chinese officials to call for an immediate and extensive rescue effort.

President Xi Jinping ordered an “all-out” search and rescue operation. Premier Li Qiang also directed authorities to rescue anyone who might still be trapped aboard the vessel and take steps to prevent further disasters.

The cause of the fire has not yet been established.

An eyewitness told AFP that thick smoke was rising from the ship after the blaze began. However, the witness said there had been no explosion that he could hear.

Qingdao is an important trading centre in China and is home to one of the world’s busiest ports. The incident has therefore drawn attention to safety at shipyards and major commercial ports, where vessels regularly undergo maintenance and other operations.

The tragedy comes less than a month after another serious incident at a Chinese shipyard. An explosion at a shipyard in Fujian province, in southeastern China, killed one rescue worker and injured 12 other people.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the latest cargo ship fire to determine what caused the blaze and establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

The investigation will also be expected to clarify how the fire developed while the vessel was undergoing maintenance and whether any safety issues contributed to the tragedy.

For now, officials have not announced a cause, while rescue and emergency agencies continue their work following one of the latest deadly incidents involving a shipyard in China.

What safety measures should shipyards strengthen to prevent similar tragedies in the future?