At least 20 killed, 5 missing after fire erupts on cargo ship at China’s Qingdao port

A cargo ship caught fire while docked at a port in China, killing at least 20 people and leaving five missing on Thursday, state media has reported.

The ship has been identified as the Ocean Melody in a picture released by the state-run Xinhua news agency. The ship is a Liberia-flagged vessel, according to VesselFinder, a ship-tracking portal.

The ship had a total of 42 people on board, of whom 12 were safely evacuated after the fire broke out.

China’s President Xi Jinping issued “important instructions” to urgently conduct rescues of missing people. Further information about the casualties and the cause of the fire is being ascertained.

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