At least 20 dead and 5 missing after cargo ship catches fire in Chinese port, state media says

At least 20 people were killed and five were missing after a cargo ship caught fire while docked in a Chinese port, Chinese state media reported Thursday.

The ship was docked for repairs in the Beihai Shipbuilding Co. at the port of Qingdao, a major shipping hub on the northeastern Chinese coast.

A photo released by Xinhua news agency identified the ship as the Ocean Melody, which sails under a Liberian flag, according to the tracking website VesselFinder.

A total of 42 people had been on the vessel, and 12 of them were safely evacuated, Xinhua reported. Five were injured and taken to the hospital, and they remained in a stable condition.

The fire started around 11 a.m. Thursday and was extinguished by 2:30 p.m. local time.

China’s President Xi Jinping issued “important instructions” to urgently conduct rescues of missing people on the ship, Xinhua said, adding that Premier Li Qiang called for “trapped” people to be rescued.

据中国官方媒体周四报道，一艘货船停靠在中国港口时起火，造成至少20人死亡，5人失踪。

该船停靠在位于中国东北沿海主要航运枢纽青岛港的北海造船有限公司进行维修。

新华社发布的照片​​显示，这艘船是“海洋旋律”号，根据船舶追踪网站 VesselFinder 的信息，该船悬挂利比里亚国旗。

据新华社报道，船上共有42人，其中12人安全撤离，5人受伤送医，目前情况稳定。

火灾于周四上午 11 点左右发生，并于当地时间下午 2 点 30 分被扑灭。

新华社报道称，中国国家主席习近平发出“重要指示”，要求紧急开展对船上失踪人员的营救工作；国务院总理李强呼吁营救“被困”人员。