Fire on cargo ship in China leaves 25 dead

According to Chinese state media, a fire on a cargo ship docked for repairs at the port of Qingdao has left at least 25 people dead. The incident occurred at approximately 11:15 a.m. local time on Thursday. Xinhua news agency reported that 42 people were on board the vessel at the time of the blaze; 12 were rescued, while five others were hospitalized with injuries and remain in stable condition. The ship, identified as the Ocean Melody, which sails under the Liberian flag, was undergoing repairs by Beihai Shipbuilding Co. The fire was extinguished after about three hours, at approximately 2:30 p.m. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by Chinese authorities. President Xi Jinping has called for support for those affected and urged the implementation of strict preventive measures to avoid future catastrophic accidents.