A fire erupted Thursday (September 10, 2026) on a foreign-flagged cargo ship docked in an eastern Chinese port, causing “heavy casualties”, state media said, with some people feared missing or trapped on board.
It was not clear whether it had already been extinguished. The report did not specify the number of casualties or the cause of the fire. President Xi Jinping called for urgent search and rescue operations.
State news agency Xinhua said that the fire broke out at around 11:15 am (0315 GMT). In August, an explosion and ensuing fire at a shipyard in Fujian province killed one fire and rescue worker, and injured 12 others, according to state media.
“A foreign cargo ship of Beihai Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. in Qingdao, Shandong Province, caught fire during its port call for maintenance, causing heavy casualties,” Xinhua said. Xinhua said he “stressed the need to urgently search for missing persons and strictly hold those responsible to account”. Premier Li Qiang called for the search and rescue of “trapped” people, and for those injured to receive medical treatment.
