At least 20 people died and five remain missing after a fire broke out on the Liberian bulk carrier Ocean Melody while it was undergoing repairs at the Qingdao Beihai Shipyard in eastern China on Thursday. Twelve people were evacuated safely and five others were taken to hospital as rescue teams searched for those still missing.
The fire broke out at around 11:15 am local time at the Beihai Shipbuilding yard in Qingdao, Shandong province. In August, an explosion followed by a fire at a shipyard in Fujian province killed a fire and rescue worker and injured 12 people. The Ocean Melody was in port for maintenance when the blaze started. The Qingdao fire comes after several deadly industrial accidents in China.
The ship was identified as the Ocean Melody, a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier that is about 190 metres long. The five people taken to hospital were reported to be in stable condition. Authorities launched a search and rescue operation for those still unaccounted for. Images released by Xinhua showed a large vessel at the shipyard with fire engines nearby.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known. Authorities were also examining how the blaze spread while the vessel was undergoing maintenance.
