Beijing (TIP): 25 people were killed after a fire erupted on a foreign cargo ship at a state-owned shipyard in Qingdao, eastern China, on Thursday, Sept 10, according to state media.
The fire started around 11:15 am at the Qingdao Beihai shipyard, where the vessel was undergoing repair and inspection work. There were 42 people on board when the blaze broke out.
Twelve people managed to evacuate safely, while five others suffered injuries and were taken to hospital. Firefighters brought the blaze under control by early afternoon, state media reported.
A picture of the scene released by Xinhua showed the vessel involved to be the Ocean Melody. LSEG ship-tracking data identified it as a 20-year-old Liberia-flagged dry bulk carrier managed by Yuyangkunpeng Shanghai Shp Mgm, with Huili Shipping Co Ltd listed as its registered owner.
The vessel arrived at the Qingdao shipyard on August 31 and has remained there since, LSEG data showed.
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for intensified search and rescue efforts, a swift investigation and accountability measures, according to Xinhua.
The shipyard is controlled by state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), one of the world’s largest shipbuilders. CSSC describes itself as China’s principal naval shipbuilder and the country’s largest designer and builder of ships and offshore equipment.
A 2022 recruitment notice on the CSSC-owned Qingdao unit’s website said the shipyard had annual shipbuilding capacity of 3 million deadweight tons and could repair 212 vessels a year.
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