A fire broke out on the cargo ship Ocean Melody while it was under repair at China's Qingdao port, killing 25 people. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
The fire was reported by the Associated Press, citing Chinese state media. The vessel was being repaired at the Beihai Shipbuilding Co. facility at the port of Qingdao in eastern China. According to AP, Ocean Melody sails under the flag of Liberia.
Rescue operation and casualties
A total of 42 people were on board. Twelve were evacuated, and five more were injured and taken to hospital. Their condition is described as stable.
The fire started at about 11:00 local time and was extinguished by roughly 14:30. Footage published online shows workers trying to tackle the flames themselves before emergency services arrived.
Orders from the authorities
Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered that search-and-rescue operations be organized urgently and that measures be taken to prevent major accidents. Premier Li Qiang of the State Council also instructed that people who might remain trapped on the ship be rescued.
Beihai Shipbuilding is part of the state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corporation, the world's largest shipbuilding corporation. The company is engaged in the construction and repair of ships.
Earlier natural disaster
Earlier, Kursiv wrote that in Jiangxi province in southeastern China, a landslide caused by torrential rain from Typhoon Saudel killed one person, while 11 others were listed as missing. The disaster damaged 12 residential buildings.
The storm also affected Fujian province, where about 600,000 people were evacuated from dangerous areas, and more than 100 houses were destroyed after a dam breach and flooding.