At least 20 killed in cargo ship fire at China’s Qingdao port - all you need to know

Beijing — A cargo ship docked for repairs in a Chinese port caught fire, resulting in at least 20 deaths and five people missing, according to Chinese state media reporting on Thursday. The vessel, named Ocean Melody, was undergoing maintenance at the Beihai Shipbuilding Co. in the port of Qingdao, a major shipping hub situated along China's northeastern coastline.

Identified by the tracking website VesselFinder as a Liberian-flagged ship, the Ocean Melody carried a total of 42 individuals. Of these, 12 were successfully evacuated, while 12 sustained injuries and were transported to the hospital, where their condition remained stable.

The fire ignited around 11 a.m. on Thursday and was successfully brought under control by 2:30 p.m. local time. Visuals shared on social media depicted crew members on board the ship striving to extinguish the flames. In response to the incident, China's President Xi Jinping issued "important instructions" emphasizing the urgency of rescue operations for the missing individuals aboard the ship.

Premier Li Qiang also directed efforts towards rescuing those trapped within the vessel. Xi further urged the implementation of comprehensive preventive measures to avert similar occurrences in the future.