Video: Blast At Chinese Shipyard Leaves One Dead, Injures 12 During Firefighting Operation

An explosion at a shipyard in southeastern China’s Fujian province killed one fire and rescue worker and injured 12 people on Thursday, local authorities said.

A fire broke out at 1:09 p.m. local time (0509 GMT) at the Huahai shipyard in the city of Fuan, prompting the city’s fire and rescue agency to dispatch personnel to fight the blaze, according to a local government statement.

About an hour later, an explosion occurred, injuring 10 fire and rescue personnel and two members of the public, authorities said.

One of the injured fire and rescue workers later died after being taken to hospital, local authorities said in a subsequent statement.

Fuan Huahai Shipyard Sudden Explosion
Around 13:00 on August 13, 2026, a ship caught fire at the Huahai Shipyard in Gantang Town, Fuan City, Fujian Province. Fire rescue forces arrived at the scene for disposal at 13:25, and a sudden secondary explosion occurred at the scene at…

— New Kunlun Observation (@PeiTai783508) August 13, 2026

The fire has been contained and the cause of the fire and explosion is under investigation.

Fujian is a significant shipbuilding and ship-repair hub in China. The province lies across the Taiwan Strait from democratically governed Taiwan.

The incident occurred during an emergency response to the shipyard fire, with most of those injured being fire and rescue personnel deployed to the scene.

Authorities have not provided further details on what caused the explosion or the condition of the other injured people.

The investigation into the cause of the incident is continuing.

References: Reuters, Baird Maritime