Cargo ship fire at Qingdao port in China leaves at least 20 dead

A fire broke out on a cargo ship docked for repairs at the Beihai Shipbuilding Co. in the port of Qingdao, a major shipping hub on China's northeastern coast, killing at least 20 people, according to Xinhua news agency. The ship was identified as the Ocean Melody, which sails under a Liberian flag, according to the tracking website VesselFinder. A photo released by Xinhua confirmed the vessel's identity.

A total of 42 people had been on board the vessel at the time of the incident. Twelve of them were safely evacuated, Xinhua reported. Five people were injured and taken to the hospital, where they remained in a stable condition. The fire started around 11 a.m. local time on Thursday and was extinguished by 2:30 p.m. local time.

China's President Xi Jinping issued "important instructions" to urgently conduct rescues of missing people on the ship, Xinhua said. Premier Li Qiang also called for "trapped" people to be rescued. The statements from senior Chinese officials underscored the seriousness of the incident and the priority placed on rescue operations.

The cause of the fire has not been disclosed. The Ocean Melody was docked at the shipyard for repairs when the blaze erupted. Qingdao is a significant port city and a key node in China's maritime infrastructure, hosting major shipbuilding and repair facilities.

According to Mehr News, the incident remains under investigation, and authorities have not released further details about the circumstances leading to the fire or the identities of the victims.