Qingdao shipyard fire kills 25 on Liberia-flagged cargo vessel

A fire on a foreign-flagged cargo ship under repair at Qingdao shipyard killed 25 people and injured five. The disaster has triggered a high-level investigation and renewed scrutiny of industrial fire safety in China.

In Short

• The blaze erupted around 11.15 am during maintenance at Qingdao Beihai shipyard
• Forty-two workers were aboard, with twelve evacuated safely from the vessel
• Five injured people were hospitalised and reported to be stable

At least 25 people were killed and five others were injured after a fire broke out on a foreign-flagged cargo ship that was undergoing repairs at a shipyard in the eastern Chinese port city of Qingdao, state media reported on Thursday.

Authorities said 42 people were aboard the vessel at the time. Twelve people were evacuated safely, while the five injured were taken to hospital and were in a stable condition.

According to the municipal fire and rescue bureau, the fire broke out at around 11.15 am when the ship was under maintenance at China State Shipbuilding Corporation Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. State-run Xinhua news agency said rescuers later located all 25 people who had initially been reported missing, but none showed signs of life.

Emergency management, fire and rescue, police and medical teams were mobilised immediately after the incident to carry out search and rescue operations. President Xi Jinping directed authorities to step up search and rescue efforts, provide support to those affected, quickly determine the cause of the accident and hold those responsible accountable, according to Xinhua. He also called on local governments and related departments to draw lessons from the accident, identify and address fire hazards, ensure preventive measures are implemented effectively, 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. He also directed the State Council to use the incident as a warning to tighten safety responsibilities across localities and sectors and deepen inspections for risk hazards. The Ministry of Emergency Management sent a working group to the scene to guide rescue and investigation efforts, while authorities in Shandong mobilised resources for on-site operations, CCTV said.

A photo released by Xinhua suggested the vessel was the Liberia-flagged Ocean Melody. According to the MarineTraffic website, the ship is moored in Qingdao. Qingdao Beihai, a major shipyard run by the China State Shipbuilding Corporation, specialises in commercial shipbuilding, ship repair and offshore engineering, with facilities spread across 330 hectares along 9 km of coastline. The fire on the ship during repairs has left 25 dead, five injured and prompted rescue, medical and investigation efforts by Chinese authorities.

With PTI Inputs

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