Beijing, Sept 10: Twenty-five people were killed and five others injured when a fire broke out on a foreign-flagged cargo ship undergoing repairs in the eastern Chinese port city of Qingdao, state media reported on Thursday.
The fire broke out at around 11:15 a.m. when the ship was undergoing maintenance at China State Shipbuilding Corporation Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., according to the municipal fire and rescue bureau.
A total of 42 people were aboard the ship, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Rescuers have located all 25 individuals initially reported missing, but none showed signs of life, it said.
The death toll from the foreign cargo ship which caught fire has risen to 25, local authorities said.
They said 12 people were safely evacuated, while five injured individuals were taken to the hospital, where they are in stable condition.
Emergency management, fire and rescue, police, and medical departments were immediately mobilised to carry out search and rescue operations following the incident.
President Xi Jinping earlier directed authorities to step up search and rescue efforts, according to CCTV, a rare instance of instructions from the top leadership.
Xi called for providing support to those affected and demanded efforts to promptly determine the cause of the accident and hold those responsible accountable, Xinhua reported.
He also required local governments and related departments to draw lessons from the accident, thoroughly identify and address fire hazards, ensure the effective implementation of preventive measures, resolutely prevent major accidents, and safeguard people’s lives and property.
Premier Li Qiang called for full efforts to treat the injured, properly handle follow-up work, and guard against secondary disasters.
A photo released by Xinhua suggests the ship is the Liberia-flagged bulk carrier, Ocean Melody. According to the MarineTraffic website, the vessel is moored in Qingdao.
Li has directed the State Council to use the incident as a warning to further tighten safety production responsibilities across all localities and sectors, and to deepen inspections for risk hazards.
The Ministry of Emergency Management had sent a working group to the scene to guide rescue and investigation efforts. At the same time, provincial authorities in Shandong had mobilised resources to manage on-site operations, CCTV said.
Qingdao Beihai is a major shipyard managed by the China State Shipbuilding Corporation. It specialises in commercial shipbuilding, ship repair and offshore engineering.
The facilities are spread across 330 hectares along 9 km of coastline. (PTI)
