At least 25 people were killed and five remain missing after a fire on a cargo vessel receiving repairs at a shipyard in the northeastern Chinese port city of Qingdao, state media reported on Thursday.
State broadcaster CCTV reported the vessel with 42 people on board caught fire at around 11:15 a.m. local time, and were extinguished around 2:30 p.m. (0630 UTC)."
The ship was identified as the 190-metre (623-foot) long bulk carrier "Ocean Melody," which sails under a Liberian flag, state news agency Xinhua reported.
Cause remains unclear
Chinese President Xi Jinping issued has "important instructions" to conduct a search and rescue mission, while also calling for an investigation into anyone who could be responsible for the incident, Xinhua added.
