Death toll from cargo ship fire in east China's Qingdao rises to 25

(ECNS) -- At least 25 people have died after a foreign cargo ship caught fire at a shipyard in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, local authorities said Thursday evening.

The fire broke out at around 11:15 a.m. when the ship was undergoing maintenance at China State Shipbuilding Corporation Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., according to the municipal fire and rescue bureau.

Of the 42 people on board, 12 were safely evacuated, while five injured were taken to the hospital and are in stable condition.

The blaze was extinguished at around 2:30 p.m. Emergency management, fire and rescue, police, and medical departments were immediately sent to search for and rescue trapped crews following the incident.

(By ZhangDongfang)