At least 20 people were killed and five remain missing after a fire broke out on a cargo vessel undergoing repairs at a shipyard in the northeastern Chinese port city of Qingdao, state media reported on Thursday. The cause of the blaze remains unclear.

State broadcaster CCTV reported that the vessel, with 42 people on board, caught fire at around 11:15 a.m. local time and was extinguished around 2:30 p.m. (0630 UTC). The ship was identified as the 190-meter (623-foot) long bulk carrier Ocean Melody, sailing under a Liberian flag, according to state news agency Xinhua.

The vessel was undergoing repairs at Qingdao's Beihai Shipbuilding Co., part of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), one of the world's largest shipbuilders. Chinese President Xi Jinping issued "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.

Xi said that "all regions and relevant departments must draw profound lessons from this incident, thoroughly investigate and rectify all types of fire hazards." It is currently unclear what could have caused the fire.

The incident occurred in one of China's major industrial hubs, home to large shipbuilding and repair facilities. Rescue operations are ongoing, with efforts focused on locating the missing.

Source: www.dw.com