China’s President Demands Action After Shipyard Fire Kills 25 Workers
A large fire broke out on a dry bulk carrier undergoing repairs in a Chinese shipyard, resulting in the death of 25 workers and injuring five others who were taken to a hospital. The fire, which is being reported as one of China’s worst industrial incidents, drew the personal attention of President Xi Jinping, who called for an investigation to hold those responsible for the deaths accountable.
Chinese state media reported the fire started at approximately 11:15 a.m. local time on September 10 at the Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding yard, part of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC). Residents told Chinese media that they “did not hear an explosion or smell anything,” but suddenly saw smoke billowing from the yard.
The fire started aboard the Chinese-owned dry bulk carrier Ocean Melody. AIS signals show the 55,742-dwt bulker arrived in Qingdao on August 31 and was undergoing maintenance. They are reporting that there were 42 workers aboard the ship when the fire began. Images show the bulker in a dry dock at the yard.
UPDATE: Rescue efforts at the scene of the cargo ship fire in Qingdao, China. 25 people have died in a fire aboard a foreign-flagged cargo ship undergoing repairs at Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding.
— Shanghai Daily (@shanghaidaily) September 10, 2026
Video cr. CCTV https://t.co/yWjNTSW59X pic.twitter.com/MfwUrBckaQ
State media reports that 12 workers were evacuated from the ship without injuries, while five others were taken to the hospital for their injuries. Initial reports said that five people were missing and that 20 deceased shipyard workers had been recovered. Later reports at around 7:15 p.m. said a search after the fire was extinguished recovered five additional bodies, bringing the death toll to 25. They said everyone was now accounted for among the people who had been on the ship.
The fire reportedly burned for nearly three hours aboard the bulker, which was built in 2006 and is registered in Liberia. It was acquired by a Chinese company in 2025. The vessel was reported to be 190 meters (623 feet) in length and sustained significant damage. No cause of the fire has been reported.
President Xi said the authorities must act promptly to determine the cause and hold those responsible accountable. He urged all regions and relevant departments to learn from the fire and to rectify all types of fire hazards.
Fire on Chinese Car Carrier Appears to Flare Up After a Month
Officials in Panama are reporting that they are monitoring the salvage efforts on the Chinese car carrier Min Jiang Kou as a hot spot was detected more than a month after an engine room fire disabled the vessel. Images on Panama TV appear to show smoke billowing from the stern of the car carrier, with tugs working to cool the vessel.
The Panama Maritime Authority had granted permission for the salvage operation to tow the vessel into a position offshore. The plan was to further stabilize the vessel and then begin a tow across the Pacific to a shipyard. The salvage effort, being led by Resolve Marine, was working to stabilize the vessel.
On the night of September 7, the authorities in Panama said a temperature increase was detected on the ship. They said that technical evaluations were underway to determine the status of the vessel, which is offshore from Panama.
The TV images show one of the three reported tugs spraying water on the vessel as part of a cooling effort. The vessel remains abandoned with on onboard power.
The Min Jiang Kou had only entered service two years ago with a special maiden voyage in July 2024 from Dubai. The vessel, which is 19,181 dwt with a capacity of 7,500 vehicles, is operated by COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers. It is an LNG-fueled carrier that was built as part of a fleet expansion program by COSCO. It also made the first RoRo delivery a year ago to Peru’s Chancay port, which was developed by China and COSCO. The ship is 200 meters (656 feet) long with 13 vehicle decks, and it is registered in the Marshall Islands.
The U.S. Coast Guard reported it received a distress alert from the vessel at midday on August 8 while it was approximately 630 miles south of Costa Rica. The car carrier reported an engine room fire but said the crew had sealed the space and used the carbon dioxide fire suppression system. It initially appeared to be containing the fire.
About 12 hours after the first report, the vessel reported increased smoke aboard and that the captain had ordered the 22 crewmembers to abandon the ship and enter the lifeboat. The USCG directed two nearby vessels, Jin Hai Ping and Degu, to assist, and they recovered the crew from the lifeboat. The crew was aboard the Jin Hai Ping and was being transported to Japan.
Salvage teams reported the vessel had been stabilized by late August and was being towed. The initial stop was Panama before heading to an Asian shipyard.
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