A fire aboard the Liberia-flagged bulk carrier Ocean Melody killed 25 people during repair and inspection work at Qingdao Beihai shipyard in China on 10 September 2026.
The fire started at around 11:15 a.m. while 42 people were aboard the vessel. Twelve people evacuated safely, while five injured people were taken to hospital and were reported to be in stable condition.
Firefighters brought the blaze under control at around 2:30 p.m. Rescue teams continued searching for 25 people who had been unaccounted for following the fire. By around 7:30 p.m., authorities confirmed that all 25 had been found without signs of life.
Ocean Melody is a 20-year-old Liberia-flagged dry bulk carrier. Reuters, citing LSEG ship-tracking data, reported that the vessel had been at the Qingdao shipyard since 31 August 2026.
Reuters also identified Yuyangkunpeng Shanghai Ship Management as the vessel manager and Huili Shipping Co Ltd as its registered owner.
Emergency management, fire and rescue, police and medical personnel were deployed following the incident. China’s Ministry of Emergency Management also sent a team to the site.
Chinese authorities ordered an investigation into the accident and measures to prevent further incidents. Authorities have yet to determine what caused the fire.
