Death toll from cargo ship fire in China rises to 25
BEIJING: The death toll from a fire that erupted on Thursday on a foreign-flagged cargo ship docked in a Chinese port has risen to 25, including five people who had been listed as missing, state media said.
The death toll from a fire on a foreign-flagged cargo ship docked in a Chinese port has increased to 25, state media reported on Thursday. Among the deceased were five individuals previously listed as missing. The bulk carrier, the Ocean Melody, had 42 people on board when the fire broke out at the port of Qingdao, a major international maritime hub in eastern China.
Seventeen passengers were successfully evacuated, including five who sustained injuries. However, all 25 missing persons were found by Thursday evening and none were alive, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
The open flames were extinguished by approximately 2:30 pm local time (06:30 GMT). Earlier, state news agency Xinhua had stated that the fire erupted around 11:15 am during the ship's maintenance port call, but did not specify the cause. A witness from a nearby residential compound observed thick smoke emanating from the vessel but did not hear an explosion or detect any smell.
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