A fire tore through the cargo ship OCEAN MELODY at a Qingdao shipyard on Wednesday, killing 25 people and injuring five in one of the deadliest maritime accidents at a Chinese port in recent memory.
The blaze ignited at around 11:15 AM local time at Beihai Shipbuilding Co., where the Liberian-flagged ship was in for repairs. Emergency services brought the fire under control by about 2:30 PM. Of the 42 people aboard, 12 were safely evacuated. Rescue crews recovered 25 bodies; five survivors were taken to hospital and were in stable condition.
Chinese President Xi Jinping issued instructions directing rescue and relief efforts, as did Premier Li Qiang.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Cargo Ship OCEAN MELODY Fire Kills 25 at Qingdao Shipyard
Interest over time · Qingdao – 25 dead liveWho's watching
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