At least 20 individuals lost their lives in a fire that erupted on a foreign cargo vessel being repaired at a state-owned shipyard in Qingdao, China. The incident occurred during maintenance and inspection activities at the Qingdao Beihai shipyard, with 12 people safely evacuated and five others injured and hospitalized out of the total 42 individuals on board.
The fire was successfully put out by early afternoon, as reported by state media. Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for intensified search and rescue operations, a prompt investigation, and holding those responsible accountable.
The vessel involved in the tragic incident was identified as the Ocean Melody in a picture released by Xinhua. The ship, a 20-year-old Liberia-flagged dry bulk carrier, is managed by Yuyangkunpeng Shanghai Shp Mgm, with Huili Shipping Co Ltd listed as its registered owner. The vessel had arrived at the shipyard on August 31 and had been there since, according to LSEG ship-tracking data.
The shipyard, which falls under the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), a prominent shipbuilder globally, is described by CSSC as China’s primary naval shipbuilder and the largest manufacturer of ships and offshore equipment in the country.
