Death toll from cargo vessel fire at Qingdao shipyard rises to 25

The death toll from a fire aboard a foreign cargo vessel at a shipyard in Qingdao, Shandong Province, has risen to 25 as of tonight.

Local authorities say all 25 individuals initially reported missing were located by rescuers but none showed signs of life.

The ship has been identified as the Ocean Melody, which sails under a Liberian flag. LSEG ship-tracking data showed it arrived at Qingdao shipyard on August 31 and has remained there since.

At about 11:15am Thursday, a fire broke out when the vessel was undergoing maintenance at Beihai Shipbuilding Co.

Emergency management, fire and rescue, police, and medical departments were immediately mobilized to carry out search and rescue operations following the incident, and the blaze was extinguished by early afternoon.

Of the 42 people on the vessel, 12 were safely evacuated, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.

Rescuers say their work was complicated by slippery stairs, thick smoke, heat, and the problem that trapped individuals were wedged into a tight space. Five people were injured and taken to the hospital, and they remained in a stable condition.

President Xi Jinping has ordered a swift investigation and accountability measures while Premier Li Qiang stressed the need to "prevent secondary disaster."