Twenty-five dead after fire on cargo ship in eastern China
Twenty-five people have been killed in a fire on a foreign-flagged cargo ship docked at a port in eastern China, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
A fire broke out on a cargo ship docked at a port in eastern China, resulting in the deaths of 25 people, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. The vessel, the Ocean Melody, a 190-meter long Liberia-flagged ship, was undergoing maintenance at a shipyard in Qingdao when the blaze erupted around 11:15 local time on August 31. The fire was extinguished after just over three hours.
Of the 42 people on board, 17 were successfully evacuated, with five of them currently in a stable condition in the hospital, as reported by CCTV. Eyewitnesses described thick smoke rising from the ship, though no explosion was heard. The cause of the fire remains unknown.
Qingdao, a major trading hub and one of the world's busiest ports, is located in eastern China. Chinese President Xi Jinping called for "all-out" search and rescue efforts, while Premier Li Qiang stressed the importance of preventing secondary disasters following the incident. This fire comes nearly a month after a shipyard explosion in Fujian province, which killed a rescue worker and injured 12 others.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.