At least 25 people have died after a cargo ship undergoing repairs caught fire at a major Chinese port, according to Chinese state media, in an accident that has prompted an emergency response and renewed attention to safety at ship-repair facilities.
The fire broke out on Thursday aboard the Ocean Melody, a Liberian-flagged cargo vessel undergoing repairs at Beihai Shipbuilding Co. at the port of Qingdao on China’s northeastern coast. The port is one of the country’s major shipping hubs and plays an important role in maritime trade and shipbuilding.
According to Chinese state news agency, 42 people were aboard the vessel when the fire started at around 11 a.m. local time. Twelve people were safely evacuated, while five others were injured and taken to hospital. The injured were reported to be in stable condition.
The blaze was brought under control at approximately 2:30 p.m., around three and a half hours after it began. Videos circulating online showed workers on the vessel attempting to tackle the flames as emergency efforts got underway.
The scale of the fatalities made the incident one of the more serious recent accidents involving a vessel undergoing repairs. Authorities are continuing efforts to establish the circumstances surrounding the fire, including how it started and what caused the loss of life.
The incident occurred while the vessel was at a shipbuilding and repair facility rather than operating at sea, exposing the risks that can arise during maintenance and repair work on large commercial vessels.
Emergency personnel work to deal with the aftermath of the blaze and establish a clearer account of what happened aboard the vessel. The number of people who died, those who were evacuated and the five injured survivors provide an initial picture of the incident, although authorities may provide further details as investigations continue.
The Ocean Melody was undergoing repairs at Beihai Shipbuilding, a company that forms part of the state-controlled China State Shipbuilding Corporation. The corporation is described as the world’s largest shipbuilder and has operations spanning ship construction and repair.
Beihai Shipbuilding itself lists shipbuilding and ship repair among its principal businesses. Its role in maintaining and repairing commercial vessels means the Qingdao facility is part of China’s broader maritime industrial infrastructure.
The fire therefore raises questions about safety management during repair operations, particularly when workers and other personnel are present aboard vessels undergoing maintenance.
Xi Orders Urgent Rescue, Demands Stronger Safety Measures
Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered authorities to urgently rescue people who may still be missing following the fire, while calling for stronger preventive measures to avert major accidents.
State media reported that Xi issued “important instructions” directing authorities to urgently conduct rescue operations for people missing from the ship. Xi stressed the need to strictly hold those responsible to account.
Premier Li Qiang also called for the rescue of people who remained “trapped” aboard the vessel.
Beyond the immediate rescue effort, Xi stressed the importance of preventing similar incidents. He called for ensuring that “preventive measures are thoroughly implemented” and urged authorities to “resolutely prevent major and catastrophic accidents.”
Xi asserted that “all regions and relevant departments must draw profound lessons from this incident, thoroughly investigate and rectify all types of fire hazards.”
The Chinese President’s intervention places the focus not only on locating anyone still unaccounted for but also on determining whether safety procedures were adequately followed at the repair facility.
For the families of those killed, the immediate focus remains on the human cost of the disaster, while authorities are expected to establish the full circumstances surrounding the fire. The five injured people who were taken to hospital were reported to be in stable condition, offering some relief amid the heavy death toll.
The incident also demonstrates the potentially devastating consequences of fires aboard large commercial vessels, where confined spaces, repair activities and the presence of workers can make emergencies particularly dangerous. With the fire extinguished, the attention will now turn to the investigation and to determining whether any safety failures contributed to the tragedy.
Xi’s directive for preventive measures to be “thoroughly implemented” signals that authorities are also looking beyond the immediate emergency, with the broader objective of preventing similar accidents at shipyards and repair facilities.
As rescue and recovery efforts continue, authorities are expected to release more information about the victims and the circumstances that led to the outbreak. The investigation will be crucial in determining the cause of the fire and whether additional safety measures are required to prevent another tragedy of similar magnitude.
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