BEIJING (AP) — 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.
A photo released by Xinhua news agency identified the ship as the Ocean Melody, which sails under a Liberian flag, according to the public vessel-tracking website VesselFinder.
A total of 42 people had been on the vessel, and 12 of them were safely evacuated, Xinhua reported.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
BEIJING (AP) —
An international cargo ship caught fire while docked in eastern China, leaving major casualties Thursday, according to China's official Xinhua News Agency.
A photo released by Xinhua news agency identified the ship as the Ocean Melody, which sails under a Liberian flag, according to the public vessel-tracking website VesselFinder.
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.
China’s President Xi Jinping issued “important instructions” to urgently conduct rescues of missing people. He did not give a number for the casualties.
