Explosion on cargo ship at Wuhan's Yangluo Port leaves one crew member missing

(ECNS) -- An explosion occurred on the LNG-fueled hybrid container ship "Yihang Mingyuan" while it was berthing at the Yangluo Port in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, early Wednesday, leaving one crew member missing, according to Hubei Port Group Co., Ltd.

The incident took place at 5:30 a.m. as the vessel was approaching Berth A101. A loud blast was heard from the vessel's aft cabin, followed by a fire and several containers falling into the water, the company said in a statement.

Initial investigations show that seven empty containers fell overboard and one crew member is unaccounted for.

Fire engines arrived at the scene at 5:39 a.m., and rescue efforts are ongoing.

(By Tang Yuxian)