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A fire broke out on a foreign-flagged cargo ship docked for repairs in the eastern Chinese city of Qingdao, with local media reporting heavy casualties without providing an exact figure.
The fire started at around 11:15am local time on Thursday at the state-owned Qingdao Beihai Shipyard, according to CCTV and Xinhua reports cited by the BBC. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered authorities to step up rescue operations following the incident. He called for efforts to locate and rescue those missing, quickly investigate the cause of the fire and provide assistance to those affected.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang also ordered an urgent rescue operation for people trapped aboard the vessel. He called for proper medical treatment for the injured and urged authorities to prevent the fire from causing further accidents or disasters.
The vessel was at the shipyard for repairs when the fire broke out.
Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding is a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation.