By Asaye Bankole
At least 25 people have been killed after a foreign-flagged cargo ship caught fire while undergoing repairs at a port in Qingdao, eastern China.
The vessel, identified as the Ocean Melody, was docked at the Beihai Shipbuilding Company when the fire broke out at about 11:15 a.m. local time on Thursday, according to Chinese state media.
There were 42 people aboard the vessel. Twelve people were successfully evacuated, while five others sustained injuries and were taken to hospital.
Their conditions were reported to be stable.
The cause of the fire remained unclear at the time of reporting, and authorities had yet to confirm whether the blaze had been completely extinguished.
The Ocean Melody operates under the Liberian flag, according to publicly available vessel-tracking information.
Following the incident, Chinese President Xi Jinping directed authorities to intensify search-and-rescue operations and locate anyone who might still be trapped or missing.
Xi also called for those responsible for the incident to be held accountable and ordered relevant authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the fire.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang similarly instructed officials to rescue anyone still trapped aboard the vessel and ensure that injured victims receive immediate medical attention.
Li further urged authorities to take measures to prevent any secondary disasters arising from the incident.
Xi directed government agencies and local authorities to learn from the tragedy and conduct thorough inspections to identify and address fire hazards in relevant facilities.
The incident has raised renewed concerns about safety procedures aboard vessels undergoing maintenance and repair at major Chinese shipping ports.
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