Fire on cargo ship in Qingdao kills at least 25

A fire erupted on a vessel undergoing repairs at a shipyard in Qingdao, a major port city on China’s eastern coast, early on Thursday. The incident was reported by local authorities at approximately 03:30 a.m. and prompted an immediate response from the port’s fire brigade and emergency services, who deployed multiple firefighting units to the scene.

Firefighters contained and extinguished the blaze within two hours, preventing it from spreading to adjacent ships and facilities. Preliminary statements from the Qingdao Maritime Safety Administration indicated no injuries among the crew or workers and limited structural damage to the vessel’s superstructure. An investigation into the cause of the fire has been launched, and the port has announced a temporary suspension of repair activities in the affected area pending safety checks.