Twenty-five individuals lost their lives in a fire that occurred on a foreign cargo vessel being repaired at a state-run shipyard in Qingdao, an eastern city in China, as reported by state media. The incident took place around 11:15 a.m. local time at the Qingdao Beihai shipyard during maintenance and inspection activities, with 42 people onboard. Twelve individuals were safely evacuated, while five sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. The fire was brought under control by early afternoon, according to state media.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged for enhanced search and rescue operations, a prompt investigation, and measures to hold those responsible accountable, as reported by Xinhua. A photo released by Xinhua revealed the vessel involved to be the Ocean Melody. Ship-tracking data from LSEG identified it as a 20-year-old dry bulk carrier flying the Liberia flag and managed by Yuyangkunpeng Shanghai Shp Mgm, with Huili Shipping Co. Ltd. listed as the registered owner.
The Ocean Melody arrived at the Qingdao shipyard on August 31 and has been stationed there since, based on LSEG data. The shipyard is under the management of the state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), which is recognized as one of the world’s leading shipbuilders. CSSC is known as China’s primary naval shipbuilder and the largest producer of ships and offshore equipment in the country.
