Death Toll From Cargo Ship Fire in China Rises to 25: State Media

The death toll from a fire that broke out aboard a foreign-flagged cargo ship at a Chinese port has risen to 25, including five people who were initially reported missing, Chinese state media said.

The blaze erupted on Thursday aboard the bulk carrier while it was docked at the Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding yard in the eastern port city of Qingdao. State broadcaster CCTV said 42 people were on board when the fire started.

Seventeen people were evacuated from the vessel, including five who suffered injuries. However, by Thursday evening, authorities had located all 25 people who remained unaccounted for, with CCTV reporting that none showed signs of life.

Authorities said the ship’s open flames had been extinguished at around 2:30 p.m. local time (0630 GMT).

According to state news agency Xinhua, the fire broke out at about 11:15 a.m. while the vessel was at the port for maintenance. Officials have not yet disclosed the cause of the blaze.

A witness living in a nearby residential compound told AFP that he noticed thick smoke coming from the ship but did not hear an explosion.

“I saw the smoke from the ship by chance, but there was no visible fire,” he said, adding that he neither heard an explosion nor smelled anything unusual.

Footage released by Xinhua showed the vessel, identified as the Ocean Melody, docked at a shipyard as dozens of rescuers moved across its decks and entered the ship. Several fire engines and ambulances were also seen positioned along the dock.

According to vessel-tracking website MarineTraffic, the Ocean Melody is a 190-metre (623-foot) bulk carrier sailing under the Liberian flag. The ship was listed as being moored in Qingdao.

Xi Jinping Calls for Investigation

Qingdao, a major international maritime hub and the birthplace of Tsingtao beer, is connected to more than 700 ports across over 180 countries and regions, according to Chinese state media.

The Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding yard is operated by a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for those responsible to be held accountable and urged authorities to investigate the incident thoroughly.

Xi also called on regions and relevant departments to “draw profound lessons” from the incident and step up efforts to identify and eliminate fire hazards.

The deadly blaze comes amid a series of major industrial accidents in China, raising renewed concerns over workplace safety and enforcement of safety regulations.

In August, an explosion and subsequent fire at a shipyard in eastern Fujian province killed one firefighter and injured 12 others, state media reported.

China also launched a campaign targeting fire hazards in high-rise buildings in November after a major fire engulfed residential tower blocks in Hong Kong, killing 168 people.

In May, an explosion at a fireworks factory in central China killed 37 people in one of the country’s deadliest industrial accidents in years.

Another factory fire in Fujian province in July killed at least 28 people.