At Least 20 Dead in Fire on Cargo Ship at Qingdao Port

A fire on a foreign cargo ship at the Beihai Shipbuilding Co. yard in Qingdao, Shandong Province, has killed at least 20 people and left five missing. The blaze erupted at around 11:15 am local time during the ship’s port call for maintenance, according to official reports.

Chinese authorities launched an urgent search and rescue operation following the incident. The fire was extinguished by 2:30 pm local time after burning for several hours. Xinhua news agency reported that the need to urgently search for missing persons was stressed, along with holding those responsible strictly to account.

The fire broke out at the shipyard in Qingdao, a major eastern Chinese port city. Officials called for thorough investigations and rectification of all fire hazards to prevent future accidents. The incident has prompted warnings to strictly prevent secondary disasters and to resolutely avoid major and catastrophic accidents.

One eyewitness said they saw smoke from the ship but no visible flames initially, and there was no explosion or smell detected. Preventive measures are said to be thoroughly implemented at the shipyard. The open flames were finally put out by mid-afternoon, ending the immediate danger.