International Desk //

Photo: Collected. At least 20 people have died following a massive fire on a foreign cargo ship in the eastern Chinese port city of Qingdao. The accident occurred while the vessel was undergoing repairs at a state-owned facility.

International media outlets reported this information on Thursday (September 10), citing Chinese state media. Reuters reported that five other individuals remain missing.

This tragic incident took place at the Beihai Shipbuilding shipyard in Qingdao. The fire broke out around 11:00 AM local time while repair and inspection work was underway. A total of 42 people were on board at the time; 12 were safely evacuated, while five others were injured and hospitalized.

An AP report stated that the fire was brought under control by 2:30 PM after an effort lasting approximately three and a half hours. However, the cause of the fire was not immediately known. Search operations for the missing persons are ongoing.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered a swift and vigorous operation to rescue the missing individuals. He also directed an investigation into the cause of the accident, instructed that action be taken against those responsible, and ordered the strengthening of safety measures to prevent such major accidents in the future.

Photos published by Xinhua identified the vessel as the ‘Ocean Melody.’ The ship sails under the Liberian flag. At the time of the accident, it was docked at the Qingdao shipyard for repairs. The shipyard is operated by a major state-owned Chinese company.

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