At least 25 people were killed after a fire broke out on a foreign-flagged cargo ship undergoing maintenance at a shipyard in China’s eastern port city of Qingdao, according to Chinese state media.The fire erupted at around 11:15 am local time on Thursday at the Beihai Shipbuilding Co. yard in Qingdao, Shandong province, Xinhua reported. Chinese authorities launched an urgent search and rescue operation following the incident.“A foreign cargo ship of Beihai Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. in Qingdao, Shandong Province, caught fire during its port call for maintenance, causing heavy casualties,” Xinhua said.The agency did not initially provide details on the cause of the fire or the circumstances surrounding the deaths. Some people were also feared trapped or missing on board.Chinese President Xi Jinping called for an urgent search for missing people and accountability for those responsible. Xinhua said he “stressed the need to urgently search for missing persons… and strictly hold those responsible to account”.Premier Li Qiang called for the rescue of “trapped” people and urged authorities to ensure injured people received medical treatment. He also called on officials to “strictly prevent secondary disasters”.Xinhua published a photograph showing a large vessel docked at a shipyard with several fire engines positioned nearby. The vessel appeared to be the Ocean Melody, a 190-metre bulk carrier sailing under the Liberian flag, according to MarineTraffic, which showed it moored in Qingdao.
Xi orders safety checks after fire
Xi also said that “all regions and relevant departments must draw profound lessons from this incident, thoroughly investigate and rectify all types of fire hazards”.The incident comes amid a series of major industrial accidents in China in recent months, raising renewed concerns over workplace safety.In August, an explosion and subsequent fire at a shipyard in Fujian province killed one fire and rescue worker and injured 12 others, state media reported.China launched a campaign targeting fire hazards in high-rise buildings last November, following a major blaze that engulfed several tower blocks in Hong Kong and killed 168 people.A blast at a fireworks factory in central China in May killed 37 people, while a fire at a shoe factory in eastern Fujian province in July killed at least 28 people.
