Cargo ship fire at Qingdao port kills 25 in China
Qingdao ship fire kills 25 at a busy port during vessel repairs See what happened as rescuers battled the blaze and investigators probe the cause
A cargo ship under repair at Qingdao port in northeastern China caught fire on Thursday, killing at least 25 people and injuring five others, according to Chinese state media.
The vessel, identified by Xinhua as the Ocean Melody, was being serviced by Beihai Shipbuilding Co. when the blaze started around 11:15 a.m. local time. Out of 42 people on board, 12 were rescued and the injured were taken to hospital in stable condition.
Authorities said the fire was put out after more than three hours, and the cause is still under investigation. Qingdao is one of China’s busiest shipping hubs, and officials said support and rescue efforts were underway.