At least 25 dead after cargo ship catches fire in China

At least 25 people have died after a foreign-flagged cargo ship caught fire while docked in a Chinese port, state media reported.

Of the 42 people on board, 12 were safely evacuated, while five were hospitalised with injuries and were in stable condition, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Thursday.

State news agency Xinhua said the fire broke out at about 11:15am (03:15 GMT) while the ship was docked for repairs at the Beihai Shipbuilding Company at the port of Qingdao, a major shipping hub on the northeastern Chinese coast.

It was unclear what had caused the fire or whether it had been extinguished.

A photo released by Xinhua identified the ship as the Ocean Melody, which sails under a Liberian flag, according to the public vessel-tracking website VesselFinder.

President Xi Jinping called for urgent search-and-rescue operations.

He “stressed the need to urgently search for missing persons … and strictly hold those responsible to account”, Xinhua reported.

Premier Li Qiang called for the search and rescue of “trapped” people, and for those injured to receive medical treatment.