At least 20 dead, 5 missing after cargo ship catches fire in China port, state media says
BEIJING — A cargo ship docked for repairs in a Chinese port caught fire, killing at least 20 people and leaving five others missing, Chinese state media reported Thursday. The ship was being repaired in the Beihai Shipbuilding Co. at the port of Qingdao, a major shipping hub on the northeastern Chinese coast. A photo released by Xinhua news agency identified the ship as the Ocean Melody, which…
A cargo ship docked for repairs at the port of Qingdao, China, caught fire, resulting in at least 20 deaths and five missing persons, according to Chinese state media. The incident occurred on Thursday, with the vessel being repaired at the Beihai Shipbuilding Co. The ship, identified as the Ocean Melody, operated under a Liberian flag, as reported by the tracking website VesselFinder.
Initially, 42 individuals were on board; however, 12 were successfully evacuated. Twelve others were injured and taken to the hospital, maintaining a stable condition.
The fire ignited around 11 a.m. local time and was brought under control by 2:30 p.m. Videos circulating online depicted workers on the ship making efforts to contain the blaze. President Xi Jinping directed "important instructions" for the urgent rescue of missing individuals, while Premier Li Qiang called for the prompt rescue of those trapped on the vessel. Xi further emphasized the importance of implementing "preventive measures."
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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