At least 20 people were killed and five remain unaccounted for after a vessel caught fire while undergoing repairs at a shipyard in the northeastern Chinese port city of Qingdao, state media reported on Thursday.
The blaze broke out aboard the 190-meter (623-foot) bulk carrier “Ocean Melody” around 11:15 a.m. local time. State broadcaster CCTV stated that firefighters successfully extinguished the flames by approximately 2:30 p.m. (0630 UTC). The vessel, which was flying a Liberian flag, had 42 people on board when the incident occurred, according to state news agency Xinhua.
The cause of the fire remains unclear. However, authorities have launched an investigation into the incident. Chinese President Xi Jinping issued directives demanding a thorough search and rescue operation as well as an inquiry into those responsible for the disaster.
In a statement, Xi emphasized that all regions and relevant departments must “draw profound lessons” from the tragedy and work to identify and rectify all potential fire hazards.
The incident took place at the Beihai Shipbuilding Co facility, a subsidiary of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), one of the largest shipbuilders globally.
Another fire at a busy port. Are these shipyards doing enough to prevent such tragedies, or is cutting corners the norm?
Twenty lives lost is absolutely devastating. I hope the investigation reveals why safety protocols failed so catastrophically.