At least 20 people died and five remain missing after a fire broke out on the Liberian bulk carrier Ocean Melody while it was undergoing repairs at the Qingdao Beihai Shipyard in eastern China on Thursday. Twelve people were evacuated safely and five others were taken to hospital as rescue teams searched for those still missing.
Ocean Melody fire: What happened at Qingdao shipyard
The fire broke out at around 11:15 am local time at the Beihai Shipbuilding yard in Qingdao, Shandong province. The Ocean Melody was in port for maintenance when the blaze started.
Chinese state media said 42 people were aboard the vessel. Firefighters brought the blaze under control by about 2:30 pm, more than three hours after it began.
- 20 people were confirmed dead
- Five people remained missing
- 12 people were evacuated safely
- Five injured people were taken to hospital
The five people taken to hospital were reported to be in stable condition. Authorities launched a search and rescue operation for those still unaccounted for.
Images released by Xinhua showed a large vessel at the shipyard with fire engines nearby. The ship was identified as the Ocean Melody, a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier that is about 190 metres long.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known. Authorities were also examining how the blaze spread while the vessel was undergoing maintenance.
Xi Jinping orders rescue effort and investigation into Qingdao fire
Chinese President Xi Jinping issued instructions for authorities to urgently search for the missing and investigate what caused the deadly fire. He also called for those responsible to be held accountable.
Xi told officials that all regions and relevant departments must “draw profound lessons from this incident, thoroughly investigate and rectify all types of fire hazards”.
Premier Li Qiang also ordered authorities to rescue people who may still be trapped and ensure proper treatment for the injured. He told officials to “strictly prevent secondary disasters”.
The intervention by China’s top leadership put immediate pressure on local authorities to establish what went wrong at the shipyard and whether safety failures contributed to the deaths.
Qingdao tragedy follows other deadly industrial accidents in China
The Qingdao fire comes after several deadly industrial accidents in China. In August, an explosion followed by a fire at a shipyard in Fujian province killed a fire and rescue worker and injured 12 people.
A fire at a shoe factory in Fujian in July killed at least 28 people. In May, an explosion at a fireworks factory in central China killed 37.
China has also stepped up efforts to tackle fire risks. Authorities launched a campaign targeting hazards in high-rise buildings last November.
Investigators must now determine what caused the Ocean Melody fire and whether maintenance work, equipment or safety procedures played a part. The search for the five missing people remained the immediate priority.
