BEIJING — A cargo vessel undergoing repairs at a port in China caught fire, leaving 25 people dead, Chinese state media reported Thursday.
The fire broke out while the ship was at Beihai Shipbuilding Co. in the port city of Qingdao, one of the major shipping hubs on China’s northeastern coast.
A photo published by the Xinhua news agency identified the vessel as the Ocean Melody, a ship that sails under the Liberian flag, according to the tracking site VesselFinder.
Xinhua reported that 42 people were on board at the time, with 12 able to evacuate safely.
Five others were injured and transported to a hospital, where they were listed in stable condition.
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The fire started around 11 a.m. Thursday and was extinguished by 2:30 p.m. local time.
Videos online showed workers on the ship attempting to put out the fire.
China’s President Xi Jinping issued “important instructions” to urgently conduct rescues of missing people on the ship, Xinhua said, adding that Premier Li Qiang called for “trapped” people to be rescued.
Xi also called for ensuring “preventive measures are thoroughly implemented” and “resolutely prevent major and catastrophic accidents.”
Beihai Shipbuilding is part of the state-controlled China State Shipbuilding Corporation, the world’s largest shipbuilder.
Its main businesses include shipbuilding and ship repairing, according to Beihai Shipbuilding’s website.