Qingdao Shipyard Fire Kills 25

At least 25 people have died and five remain missing after a fire broke out aboard a foreign cargo ship undergoing repairs at Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding in Qingdao, Shandong Province, eastern China. The vessel, identified in photographs released by China’s state news agency Xinhua as the Ocean Melody, was sailing under a Liberian flag and was docked at one of China’s major shipyards when the incident occurred. Chinese state media reported that 42 people were aboard the ship. Twelve were safely evacuated, while the remaining crew members were killed or are still unaccounted for. The fire reportedly began at about 11am local time on Thursday and was extinguished by approximately 2:30pm. The article does not provide details about the identities of those killed or the suspected cause of the fire. Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding is part of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, the world’s largest shipbuilder. Its operations include ship construction and repair. The incident occurred while the vessel was in port for maintenance, resulting in what authorities described as heavy casualties. Chinese President Xi Jinping called for intensified search and rescue efforts, a prompt investigation into the cause of the fire and accountability measures. He also instructed authorities to draw lessons from the incident and inspect and rectify fire hazards more broadly. Premier Li Qiang urged officials to locate people who may still be trapped, ensure injured people receive medical treatment and prevent secondary disasters. Authorities are continuing search operations and investigating the circumstances surrounding the deadly fire.

At least 25 people have died after a foreign-flagged cargo ship caught fire while docked for repairs at a Chinese port, according to Chinese state media. The incident occurred at approximately 11:15 a.m. local time on Thursday at the Beihai Shipbuilding Company in Qingdao, a major shipping hub on China’s northeastern coast. There were 42 people aboard the vessel. Twelve were safely evacuated, while five others were taken to hospital with injuries and were reported to be in stable condition. The available reports did not clarify whether additional people remained trapped or missing, whether the fire had been extinguished, or what caused the blaze. State news agency Xinhua released a photograph identifying the ship as the Ocean Melody. The vessel reportedly sails under a Liberian flag, based on information from the public vessel-tracking website VesselFinder. The ship was undergoing repairs when the fire began. Chinese President Xi Jinping called for urgent search-and-rescue operations and instructed authorities to search for missing people and hold those responsible strictly accountable. Premier Li Qiang also called for efforts to rescue anyone trapped, ensure medical treatment for the injured, and prevent secondary disasters. Xi further ordered regional authorities and relevant government departments to learn lessons from the incident and conduct thorough investigations and remediation of fire hazards. The article does not provide further details about the identities of the victims, the ship’s owner, the scale of the damage, or the progress of the emergency response.

Twenty-five people have died after a fire broke out aboard a foreign-flagged cargo ship docked at a shipyard in Qingdao, eastern China, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. The vessel was undergoing maintenance when the blaze began at approximately 11:15 local time on 10 September 2026. Firefighters extinguished it slightly more than three hours later. There were 42 people aboard the ship. CCTV reported that 17 were evacuated, including five who were taken to hospital and were in stable condition. State media photographs identified the vessel as the Ocean Melody, a 190-metre Liberia-flagged carrier. The ship arrived in Qingdao on 31 August, according to the vessel-tracking service MarineTraffic. The cause of the fire remains unknown. An eyewitness told Agence France-Presse that thick smoke was rising from the ship but said they had not heard an explosion. Chinese President Xi Jinping called for comprehensive search-and-rescue efforts, while Premier Li Qiang urged rescuers to prevent secondary disasters and called for people trapped aboard to be rescued. Qingdao is a major trading centre and one of the world’s busiest ports. The incident comes almost a month after an explosion at a shipyard in Fujian province, southeastern China, killed one rescue worker and injured 12 people. The report provides no indication that the two incidents were connected.

Twenty-five people were killed when a fire broke out aboard a foreign cargo vessel undergoing repairs at the Qingdao Beihai shipyard in Qingdao, eastern China, on Thursday. The fire started at approximately 11:15 a.m. local time during repair and inspection work, according to state-run Xinhua news agency, and was extinguished by early afternoon. There were 42 people aboard the vessel. Twelve were evacuated safely, while five others were injured and hospitalized. The identities and nationalities of those involved were not reported. Chinese President Xi Jinping called for intensified search-and-rescue operations, a rapid investigation into the incident and accountability measures. Images released by Xinhua identified the vessel as the Ocean Melody. Data from LSEG identified it as a roughly 20-year-old Liberia-flagged dry bulk carrier managed by Yuyangkunpeng Shanghai Ship Management, with Huili Shipping Co. Ltd. listed as its registered owner. The ship arrived at the Qingdao shipyard on Aug. 31 and had remained there for nearly two weeks before the fire. The shipyard is controlled by China State Shipbuilding Corporation, a state-owned company and one of the world’s largest shipbuilders. CSSC describes itself as China’s principal naval shipbuilder and the country’s largest designer and builder of ships and offshore equipment. The article does not report what caused the fire or provide further details about the investigation.

A fire broke out Thursday aboard the cargo ship Ocean Melody while it was docked for repairs at Beihai Shipbuilding Co. in Qingdao, a major shipping center on China’s northeastern coast. Chinese state media reported that 25 of the 42 people aboard were killed. Twelve people were safely evacuated, while five others were injured and taken to a hospital in stable condition. The fire reportedly began at about 11 a.m. local time and was extinguished by 2:30 p.m. Videos showed workers trying to control the blaze, while a local witness described seeing thick smoke but no visible flames, explosion, or unusual smell. Chinese President Xi Jinping instructed officials to prioritize rescuing anyone still missing and to strengthen preventive measures to avoid major or catastrophic accidents. Premier Li Qiang also called for the rescue of people trapped aboard the vessel. The ship sails under a Liberian flag, according to the tracking website VesselFinder. Beihai Shipbuilding is part of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, the world’s largest shipbuilder, and specializes in shipbuilding and ship repair. The incident comes amid concerns about industrial safety in China, where regulations are frequently described as weakly enforced. The article cites several recent accidents, including an August shipyard explosion and fire in Fujian province that killed a rescue worker and injured 12 people, a May fireworks-factory blast that killed 37, and a July shoe-factory fire in Fujian that killed at least 28. It also notes that China launched a campaign targeting fire hazards in high-rise buildings after a deadly blaze in Hong Kong killed 168 people. AFP contributed to the report.

At least 25 people were killed and five others remained missing after a fire broke out aboard the bulk carrier Ocean Melody at a shipyard in Qingdao, in northeastern China. The vessel, which was undergoing repairs at Beihai Shipbuilding Co., caught fire at approximately 11:15 a.m. local time, according to China’s state broadcaster CCTV. The blaze was extinguished around 2:30 p.m., or 0630 UTC. The 190-meter-long ship had 42 people aboard when the fire began. It sails under the Liberian flag and was identified by state news agency Xinhua. Beihai Shipbuilding is part of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, one of the world’s largest shipbuilders. The cause of the fire had not been determined. Chinese President Xi Jinping instructed authorities to conduct search-and-rescue operations and investigate those who may be responsible for the incident. He also called on local governments and relevant departments to learn lessons from the disaster and thoroughly inspect and correct fire hazards. The incident occurred at one of China’s largest ports and prompted a major emergency response. The deaths and ongoing search for missing people highlight the dangers associated with repair work aboard large commercial vessels. Authorities had not publicly identified a cause or explained the circumstances surrounding the victims at the time of the report.

At least 25 people were killed after the international cargo ship Ocean Melody caught fire while docked for repairs at Qingdao’s Beihai Shipbuilding Co. in eastern China, according to Chinese state media. The vessel, which sails under a Liberian flag, had 42 people aboard. Seventeen people were evacuated safely, including five who were injured. The fire reportedly started at about 11:15 a.m. local time on 10 September and open flames were extinguished around 2:30 p.m. Chinese broadcaster CCTV later reported that all 25 missing people had been located by 7:24 p.m., with none showing signs of life. The report therefore confirmed the deaths of 25 people, while the 17 evacuated individuals accounted for the rest of those aboard. The ship was undergoing repairs at Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding, a major shipyard and subsidiary of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation. Qingdao is a major shipping hub on China’s northeastern coast. President Xi Jinping issued instructions calling for urgent rescue efforts and a search for missing people. Premier Li Qiang directed authorities to locate and rescue those trapped, provide medical care to the injured, and prevent secondary disasters. Xi also called on regional authorities and relevant departments to learn lessons from the incident and conduct a thorough investigation and rectification of fire hazards. The article does not identify the cause of the blaze or provide further details about the condition of the injured. The incident highlights the dangers associated with fires aboard cargo vessels undergoing maintenance and prompted a high-level emergency response from China’s central government.

A fire broke out aboard the cargo ship Ocean Melody while it was undergoing repairs at Beihai Shipbuilding Co. in Qingdao, one of China’s busiest ports, on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. Chinese state media reported that the blaze began at approximately 11:15 a.m. local time while 42 people were aboard. At least 25 people were killed, 12 were rescued safely, and five others were injured and transported to a hospital. The injured were reported to be in stable condition. The fire was extinguished at around 2:30 p.m., roughly three hours after it began. Videos posted online showed large plumes of white smoke rising from the ship, while photographs released by the Xinhua News Agency showed the vessel and emergency crews at the port. Vessel-tracking website VesselFinder identified the ship as sailing under the Liberian flag. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Chinese authorities have not disclosed what triggered the blaze while the vessel was being repaired. President Xi Jinping called for intensified efforts to support those affected, while Premier Li Qiang urged authorities to rescue anyone trapped aboard. Xi also called for preventive measures to be fully implemented and for officials to prevent major or catastrophic accidents. Beihai Shipbuilding is a subsidiary of the state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corporation, described as the world’s largest shipbuilder. The company’s primary businesses include shipbuilding and ship repair. Qingdao, located in Shandong Province, is a major hub for shipbuilding, shipping and international trade, handling millions of containers annually and hosting several large shipyards. The Associated Press contributed to the report, which was written by Fox News Digital reporter James Cirrone.

A fire broke out Thursday aboard the cargo ship Ocean Melody while it was docked for repairs at Beihai Shipbuilding Co. in Qingdao, a major port on China’s northeastern coast. Chinese state media reported that 25 people died in the incident. The vessel, which sails under a Liberian flag according to VesselFinder, had 42 people aboard. Twelve were evacuated safely, while five others were injured and hospitalized in stable condition. The fire began at approximately 11 a.m. local time and was extinguished by 2:30 p.m. Videos shared online showed workers attempting to fight the blaze from the vessel. The incident prompted an immediate response from China’s top leadership. President Xi Jinping directed authorities to urgently rescue missing or trapped people and called for stronger preventive measures to avoid major or catastrophic accidents. Premier Li Qiang also instructed officials to prioritize the rescue of those believed to be trapped aboard the ship. Beihai Shipbuilding is part of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, a state-controlled company described as the world’s largest shipbuilder. The facility’s operations include shipbuilding and ship repair. The article does not identify the cause of the fire or provide further details about the victims. Qingdao is an important shipping hub in Shandong province, and the accident occurred while the vessel was undergoing maintenance rather than operating at sea. Photographs released by Xinhua and the Associated Press showed thick smoke rising from the ship and firefighters and crews assembled near the repair dock.