A routine repair job at a busy Chinese port has turned into a deadly disaster.
At least 25 people were killed after a fire broke out aboard a foreign-flagged cargo ship in Qingdao, state broadcaster CCTV reports.
The vessel was carrying 42 people when flames erupted at around 11:15 local time while it was undergoing maintenance at a shipyard.
Seventeen people were evacuated, with five taken to hospital in stable condition.
The fire was brought under control just over three hours later.
Images released by Chinese state media identified the ship as the Ocean Melody.
It was a 190-metre Liberia-flagged carrier that arrived in Qingdao on 31 August.
What Caused The Blaze?
That remains unclear. An eyewitness told AFP that thick smoke poured from the vessel but said there was no explosion.
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for “all-out” search and rescue efforts, while Premier Li Qiang urged authorities to prevent “secondary disasters”.
The tragedy comes less than a month after a shipyard explosion in Fujian killed a rescue worker and injured 12 others.
With investigations now underway, one question looms.
How did a maintenance operation at one of China’s busiest ports become such a catastrophic scene?
