China: Cargo ship fire kills at least 20
At least five people are missing after a cargo ship caught fire at the port of Qingdao. The cause remains unclear.
At least 20 individuals lost their lives and five others remain missing following a fire aboard a cargo ship undergoing repairs at a shipyard in Qingdao, a northeastern Chinese port city, according to state media reports on Thursday. The vessel, carrying 42 people, caught fire around 11:15 a.m. local time and was extinguished approximately 2:30 p.m. (0630 UTC).
Identified as the 190-meter-long bulk carrier Ocean Melody, which sails under a Liberian flag, the incident has prompted Chinese President Xi Jinping to issue important instructions for a search and rescue mission, alongside a call for an investigation into potential responsibility. Xi emphasized that all regions and relevant departments must learn valuable lessons from this incident, conduct a thorough investigation, and rectify all types of fire hazards.
The cause of the fire remains unknown. The ship was being repaired at Qingdao's Beihai Shipbuilding Co., a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), one of the world's largest shipbuilders.
Written by urgent.news from DW English (Top Stories)'s reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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