Cargo Vessel fire at East China shipyard kills 25

 At least 25 people have died after a fire broke out aboard a foreign cargo vessel undergoing repairs at a state-owned shipyard in Qingdao, eastern China, authorities and state media reported on Thursday.

QINGDAO: At least 25 people have died after a fire broke out aboard a foreign cargo vessel undergoing repairs at a state-owned shipyard in Qingdao, eastern China, authorities and state media reported on Thursday.

The fire erupted at around 11:15 a.m. local time at the Qingdao Beihai shipyard while repair and inspection work was underway, according to state-run Xinhua news agency.

There were 42 people on board the vessel when the fire broke out. Authorities said 12 people were safely evacuated, while five others suffered injuries and were taken to hospital for treatment.

Firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze by early afternoon, according to state media reports. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire and establish whether any safety violations contributed to the deadly incident.

Images released by Xinhua showed that the vessel involved was the Ocean Melody.

According to LSEG ship-tracking data, the Ocean Melody is a roughly 20-year-old, Liberia-flagged dry bulk carrier. The vessel is managed by Yuyangkunpeng Shanghai Ship Management, while Huili Shipping Co Ltd is listed as its registered owner.

The vessel arrived at the Qingdao shipyard on August 31 and had remained there for repair work, according to shipping data.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for intensified search-and-rescue efforts, a swift investigation into the incident and accountability measures, Xinhua reported.

The shipyard where the accident occurred is controlled by the state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) one of the world’s largest shipbuilding companies.

CSSC describes itself as China’s principal naval shipbuilder and the country’s largest designer and builder of ships and offshore equipment. The company operates a major shipbuilding and repair facility in Qingdao.

A 2022 recruitment notice published on the website of the CSSC-owned Qingdao unit said the shipyard had an annual shipbuilding capacity of approximately 3 million deadweight tonnes and could repair up to 212 vessels annually.

The deadly incident has raised fresh concerns about workplace safety during ship repair and inspection operations. Authorities are expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the fire, including the work being carried out at the time emergency response procedures and safety measures aboard the vessel.

The investigation will determine the exact cause of the fire and whether any individuals or organisations should be held responsible for the loss of life.