A fire aboard the Liberia-flagged bulk carrier Ocean Melody while the vessel was undergoing repair work at CSSC’s Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding yard on September 10 killed 25 people. Twelve people evacuated safely and five others were taken to hospital. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

A fire aboard a foreign-flagged bulk carrier undergoing repairs at Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding in eastern China killed 25 people on September 10, according to Chinese authorities.

The fire broke out at around 11:15 a.m. local time while the vessel was undergoing repair and inspection work at the yard in Qingdao, Shandong province.

There were 42 people aboard at the time. Twelve evacuated safely, while five injured people were taken to hospital and were reported to be in stable condition. The remaining 25 people were initially reported missing and were subsequently found with no signs of life, state news agency Xinhua reported.

The vessel involved was the Liberia-flagged bulk carrier Ocean Melody, IMO 9303065. The fire was brought under control and extinguished during the afternoon.

Ocean Melody had arrived for repair work

AIS and vessel database information identifies Ocean Melody as a 55,742-dwt Supramax bulk carrier built in 2006.

The vessel measures about 190 metres in length and 32 metres in beam, with a gross tonnage of 31,279. It had arrived in Qingdao at the end of August before entering the yard for repair work.

Reuters, citing LSEG vessel-tracking data, reported that the ship arrived at Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding on August 31 and remained at the facility before the fire occurred.

Xinhua photographs from the scene showed smoke rising from the vessel inside the shipyard as emergency personnel carried out rescue operations.

Emergency response launched

Following the incident, emergency, firefighting, public security and medical teams were deployed to the site.

China's Ministry of Emergency Management also sent a working group to Qingdao to assist with the response, while authorities in Shandong province organised local emergency operations.

Chinese President Xi Jinping issued instructions following the accident, calling for the search for missing personnel, treatment of the injured, assistance for affected families and an investigation into the cause of the fire.

Premier Li Qiang also instructed authorities to provide medical treatment and handle the aftermath while taking measures to prevent secondary incidents.

By the evening of September 10, authorities confirmed that all 25 people who had previously been listed as missing had been found dead.

Qingdao Beihai is part of CSSC

Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding is a major shipbuilding and shiprepair facility controlled by China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC).

The company traces its history to 1898 and operates from the Haixiwan shipbuilding and repair base in Qingdao. Its activities include commercial shipbuilding, shiprepair, offshore engineering and related marine equipment businesses.

The yard has dedicated facilities for both newbuilding and repair work, including large dry docks capable of handling major oceangoing vessels.

As of September 11, authorities had not publicly disclosed the cause of the fire, the precise location aboard the vessel where it started, or a detailed breakdown of the identities and nationalities of those killed.

An investigation into the accident is continuing.