BEIJING — At least 25 people died after an international cargo ship caught fire while undergoing repairs at a shipyard in Qingdao, according to figures reported by Chinese state media and the Associated Press. The vessel, identified in reporting as the Ocean Melody, was docked at Beihai Shipbuilding on Thursday when the fire began.

Chinese reports said 42 people were aboard. Twelve were evacuated safely and five injured people were taken to hospital in stable condition, leaving the status of the remaining people subject to the rescue and identification process. The ship was flying the Liberian flag, according to AP’s account citing a public vessel-tracking service.

The fire was reported at about 11 a.m. local time and was extinguished during the afternoon, AP said. Qingdao is a major shipping hub, and Beihai Shipbuilding is part of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, a state-controlled group whose businesses include ship construction and repair.

The response has moved quickly from rescue to accountability. The Chinese government said President Xi Jinping ordered intensified efforts to find missing people, treat the injured and establish the cause, while Premier Li Qiang called for measures to prevent secondary disasters. The instructions do not themselves identify what caused the fire or assign responsibility.

That distinction will matter as investigators reconstruct work conditions aboard a vessel under repair. The key questions are how the blaze started, why it spread, whether alarms and evacuation routes worked and whether hazardous work was being managed safely. Until that inquiry is complete, the verified account is a major fatal fire with 25 reported deaths, five injuries and an official search and safety investigation under way.

*Reporting note: this article is based on the source record listed above and is current as of 11 September 2026. Figures and operational claims remain attributed where official or first-day reports can change.*