China · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
Fire on Liberian-Flagged Ocean Melody Kills 25 at Qingdao Shipyard
25 killed, five missing of 42 aboard Ocean Melody, a Liberian-flagged cargo ship. Fire at Qingdao Beihai shipyard during repairs around 11:15 a.m. local time.
How many fatalities vs missing are reported at time of writing.
10 of 12 outlets skipped it: a witness saw thick smoke but no explosion.
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Same story, two versions
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Inquirer.net
“The death toll from a fire that erupted on Thursday on a foreign-flagged cargo ship docked in a Chinese port has risen to 25, including five people who had been listed as missing”Read the original ↗
CNN
“At least 20 people were killed and five were missing after a cargo ship caught fire while docked in a Chinese port”Read the original ↗
Casualty totals shift between outlets, reflecting developing information or reporting lag.
Ocean Melody fire in Qingdao
A fire erupted on Thursday on the foreign-flagged cargo ship Ocean Melody while it was docked for repairs at the Beihai Shipbuilding Co. shipyard in Qingdao, a major shipping hub on China’s northeastern coast.
“all 25 missing persons had been found, none showing signs of life”
State broadcaster CCTV said the bulk carrier had 42 people on board when the fire broke out, and it reported that “all 25 missing persons had been found, none showing signs of life” by Thursday evening.
Xinhua reported the fire broke out at around 11:15 a.m. during the ship’s port call for maintenance, and CCTV said “the open flames were extinguished” by about 2:30 p.m. (0630 GMT).
The Inquirer.net account said 17 people were evacuated, including five who were injured, and it described Ocean Melody as a 190-meter (623-foot) long bulk carrier sailing under the Liberian flag.I
President Xi Jinping issued “important instructions” to urgently conduct rescues of missing people, and the incident triggered calls to investigate and rectify fire hazards, according to Xinhua.
Conflicting death tolls
While Inquirer.net and other outlets tied the death toll to 25, CBC reported that “at least 20 people have been killed” with five others still missing in the Qingdao shipyard fire.I
CBC said that of the 42 people onboard, 12 were evacuated safely and five were injured and hospitalized, while it described the fire as breaking out at about 11:15 a.m. during repair and inspection works.
Al Jazeera reported that “At least 25 people have died” and said 12 were safely evacuated while five were hospitalised with injuries and were in stable condition, citing CCTV.
The same Al Jazeera account said it was unclear what had caused the fire or whether it had been extinguished, even as it quoted Xi Jinping calling for urgent search-and-rescue operations.
Inquirer.net added that a witness from a neighboring residential compound told AFP he saw thick smoke but did not hear an explosion or smell anything.I
Xi orders accountability and hazards
Xinhua said Xi Jinping “stressed the need to… strictly hold those responsible to account,” and it quoted him calling for all regions and relevant departments to “draw profound lessons from this incident, thoroughly investigate and rectify all types of fire hazards.”
“strictly hold those responsible to account”
Premier Li Qiang called for finding and rescuing people who were trapped, providing medical assistance to the injured, and preventing secondary emergencies, according to UA.NEWS.
NBC News said Xi Jinping issued “important instructions” to urgently conduct rescues of missing people, while it reported that Li Qiang called for “trapped” people to be rescued.
DW reported that Xi Jinping issued “important instructions” to conduct a search and rescue mission and called for an investigation into anyone who could be responsible for the incident, while it said the cause remains unclear.
The incident unfolded at the Qingdao Beihai shipyard, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, and state media coverage tied the response to ensuring preventive measures are thoroughly implemented and preventing major and catastrophic accidents.