At least 20 killed, five missing after cargo ship catches fire at Chinese port
At least 20 people were killed in a fire on a foreign cargo vessel at a state-owned shipyard in China. The incident occurred at around 11 am on Thursday.
At least 20 people have died, while five remain missing after a cargo ship caught fire while docked in a Chinese port on Thursday, state media reported.
At least 20 people died after a cargo ship reportedly caught fire in a Chinese port. (Representative Image (File Photo/Reuters))
The incident occurred aboard a foreign cargo vessel undergoing maintenance work at a shipyard in the eastern Chinese city of Qingdao, Xinhua news agency reported.
The fire broke out at around 11 am on Thursday and was extinguished by 2:30 pm (local time).
A total of 42 people were aboard, and 12 of them were safely evacuated. Five were injured and taken to the hospital, and they were in stable condition, AP reported, citing Xinhua.
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A witness told AFP he saw thick smoke coming from the ship.
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A witness told AFP he saw thick smoke coming from the ship.
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"I saw the smoke from the ship by chance, but there was no visible fire," he stated.
"I didn't hear an explosion or smell anything," the witness added.
Following the tragic incident, China’s President Xi Jinping issued “important instructions” to conduct a rescue of missing people on the ship, Xinhua added.
The President also called for ensuring that “preventive measures are thoroughly implemented” and “resolutely prevent major and catastrophic accidents.”
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