A devastating fire on a cargo ship in Qingdao, located in eastern China, has resulted in the loss of 25 lives, as reported by state media outlet CCTV. The incident occurred on a foreign-flagged vessel that was docked at a local port.
According to the latest updates, there were 42 individuals aboard the ship at the time of the incident. Emergency services managed to evacuate 17 people, with five of them currently receiving treatment in a hospital, although they are reported to be in stable condition.
Details of the Incident
The tragic event unfolded around 11:15 AM local time (03:15 GMT) while the ship was undergoing maintenance at a shipyard. The fire was extinguished after a grueling three-hour effort, as per the reports from CCTV.
Images released by state media identified the vessel as the Ocean Melody, a Liberia-flagged cargo carrier measuring approximately 190 meters (623 feet). This ship had arrived in Qingdao on August 31, according to vessel tracking data from MarineTraffic.
Response from Authorities
Qingdao is recognized as a significant trading center and is one of the busiest ports globally. The cause of the fire remains undetermined at this time. Eyewitness accounts describe thick smoke billowing from the vessel, but no explosions were reported.
In response to the tragedy, Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for “all-out” search and rescue operations. Furthermore, Premier Li Qiang emphasized the importance of taking measures to “prevent secondary disasters” in the aftermath of this incident.
This fire comes in the wake of another incident in the country, where a shipyard explosion in Fujian province claimed the life of a rescue worker and left 12 others injured nearly a month prior.
