A fire broke out on board a foreign-flagged cargo ship undergoing repairs in the eastern Chinese port city of Qingdao on Thursday morning, causing numerous casualties, state broadcaster CCTV reported. The fire started around 11:15 a.m. at the Qingdao Beihai state shipyard, according to the report. He did not say how many had been killed or injured. President Xi Jinping has given orders to intensify search and rescue efforts, according to CCTV, a rare example of instructions from top leaders accompanying an accident report. Xi also called for a swift investigation into the cause of the fire and to ensure prompt follow-up and support to the victims, according to the report. All relevant regions and departments should “draw profound lessons from the fire,” tighten preventive measures and “resolutely stop serious accidents to safeguard lives and property,” he said. The fire started shortly after 11 a.m. at the Qingdao Beihai shipyard in Qingdao, Shandong province. Photo: NurPhoto via Getty Images A photograph published by state news agency Xinhua suggests the ship is the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Ocean Melody. According to the MarineTraffic website, the ship is moored in Qingdao.
