QINGDAO, CHINA, 10 Sept. - (ANA) - At least 20 people have been killed and five others are missing after a cargo ship docked for repairs in a Chinese port burst into flames.

 

The Ocean Melody ship was undergoing repairs at the Beihai Shipbuilding Co. at the port of Qingdao - a major shipping hub on the northeastern Chinese coast - when the blaze broke out, state media reported.

 

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

 

Videos online showed workers on the ship attempting to put out the fire, which broke out this morning at 11am local time (4am BST) and was extinguished by 2:30pm.

 

China's President Xi Jinping issued "important instructions" to urgently rescue those missing, adding that Premier Li Qiang had called for anyone "trapped" on the ship to be saved.

 

He also called on officials to put all safety measures in place and do everything possible to prevent "major and catastrophic accidents".

 

The Ocean Melody, which sails under a Liberian flag, arrived at the shipyard last week on August 31.

 

Beihai Shipbuilding is part of the state-controlled China State Shipbuilding Corporation, the world's largest shipbuilder.

 

Its main businesses include shipbuilding and ship repairing, according to Beihai Shipbuilding's website.   - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/10 September 2026 - -