China Opens Probe Into Deadly Cargo Ship Fire That Killed 25 At Qingdao Shipyard

China’s State Council has set up a team to investigate a cargo ship fire in Qingdao that killed 25 people and injured five others, the Ministry of Emergency Management said on Monday.

The fire broke out last Thursday, Sept. 10, while a foreign cargo ship was being repaired at China State Shipbuilding Corporation Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. in Qingdao, Shandong Province, in eastern China.

The investigation team is led by the Ministry of Emergency Management. Officials from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Public Security are also part of the team.

The team held its first meeting on Monday afternoon. It called for the cause of the fire to be found as soon as possible and for the responsibilities of everyone involved to be clearly established.

Those found responsible should be held accountable under the law, the team said.

Video Credits: CGTN Europe/YouTube

The meeting also called on local governments, relevant departments and centrally administered state-owned enterprises to learn from the accident.

Authorities were asked to check for fire hazards and fix any problems they find. They were also told to strengthen safety measures in several sectors, including hazardous chemicals, mining, transportation and construction.

The measures are aimed at preventing major and serious accidents, according to the meeting.

Video Credits: CNA/YouTube

After the fire, the Ministry of Emergency Management sent a team to the site to help guide rescue work. Authorities in Shandong also sent resources to support the response at the scene.

The State Council investigation will now look into what caused the fire and who was responsible.

The authorities have not yet released the cause of the fire or identified those responsible.

References: Xinhua, China org