▲ The cargo ship that caught fire at a shipyard in Qingdao, China
A fire broke out on a cargo ship undergoing repairs at a shipyard in Qingdao, China's Shandong Province, leaving 25 people dead.
According to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency on the 10th (local time), the fire occurred at around 11:15 a.m. that day on a foreign-flagged cargo ship undergoing repairs at Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation.
At the time of the accident, a total of 42 people were aboard the vessel. Among them, 12 safely evacuated and 5 were injured and transported to a hospital.
The remaining 25 people were reported missing. Rescue authorities launched a search and found 20 people by 5:30 p.m., all of whom were confirmed dead.
After continuing the search, the remaining 5 missing people were also found at around 7:24 p.m., and they too were confirmed dead.
The 5 injured individuals are receiving treatment at a hospital, and their injuries are reported to not be life-threatening.
Chinese authorities only stated that the accident vessel was a foreign-flagged cargo ship and did not disclose its specific nationality.
However, the Associated Press cited the vessel tracking site VesselFinder, reporting that the ship is flagged in Liberia.
The fire was extinguished at around 2:30 p.m., about three hours after the accident occurred.
Immediately following the accident, Chinese authorities activated an emergency response system, mobilizing emergency management, firefighting, public security, and health authorities to conduct rescue and search operations and handle the aftermath.
Earlier, Chinese President Xi Jinping instructed authorities immediately after the accident to accelerate the search for the missing, treat the injured, comfort the bereaved families, and do their utmost to handle the aftermath of the accident.
He also ordered a swift investigation into the cause of the accident and strict accountability in accordance with the law.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang also instructed authorities to focus all efforts on rescue operations, treating the injured, and managing the aftermath while thoroughly preventing secondary disasters.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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