25 Deaths as Cargo Ship Fire Rages at Chinese Dock

Twenty-five people are dead after a cargo ship caught fire while docked in China. The blaze started on Thursday morning at the Beihai Shipbuilding Company in Qingdao, a busy shipping hub along the northeastern coast. State media confirmed the toll by late afternoon.

Of the 42 souls aboard the vessel when the flames took hold, only 12 made it to safety. Five others suffered injuries but remain stable in hospitals. The rest perished before rescue teams could fully reach them or were overcome by the fire.

The ship involved is the Ocean Melody. It flies a Liberian flag and was undergoing repairs at the time of the disaster, according to tracking data from VesselFinder. A photo released by Xinhua identified the name clearly on the hull.

Nobody yet knows what sparked the inferno. Officials have not confirmed whether the fire has been completely put out either. Smoke still rises over the port in some accounts.

President Xi Jinping ordered immediate action. He told officials to find anyone missing and hold those responsible strictly accountable. "All regions and relevant departments must draw profound lessons from this incident," he said. The focus is now on preventing other fires before they happen.

Premier Li Qiang echoed these warnings. He urged rescuers to save trapped workers fast and get medical help to the injured immediately. His message was clear: stop secondary disasters at all costs.