Probe starts into Qingdao shipyard fire

The State Council, China's Cabinet, has launched an investigation into the major fire that occurred at a shipyard in Qingdao, Shandong province, on Thursday, killing 25 people and injuring five, the Ministry of Emergency Management announced on Monday.

A State Council investigation team, led by the ministry, held its first plenary meeting on Monday. The meeting set out the investigation plan and called for investigators to identify the cause of the accident as soon as possible.

Before the meeting began, all the participants observed a moment of silence for the victims of the accident.

Song Yuanming, deputy director of the Office of the State Council Work Safety Committee and vice-minister of emergency management, chaired the meeting.

The investigation will not only examine the cause of the fire, but also determine whether the shipyard, industry supervision and local authorities had acted responsibly. Those found responsible for the accident will be held accountable in accordance with the law, the announcement said.

The inquiry will follow the principles of scientific rigor, compliance with laws and regulations, seeking truth from facts and focusing on practical results.

The authorities were also urged to draw broader lessons from the accident. Local governments, relevant departments and centrally administered State-owned enterprises were told to strengthen workplace safety and step up inspections for fire hazards.

Investigators will also pay particular attention to subcontracting and illegal practices connected with it. The meeting called for wider safety checks in sectors including hazardous chemicals, mining, industry and trade, transportation, construction and special equipment, in an effort to prevent serious accidents.

The fire broke out at around 11:15 am on Thursday aboard a foreign cargo vessel undergoing repairs at China State Shipbuilding Corporation Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding Co. Authorities have not yet disclosed the nationality of the vessel or of those killed or injured.

There were 42 people aboard the vessel when the fire broke out. Twelve managed to evacuate, while 30 others were trapped.

The blaze was extinguished at around 2:30 pm.

Provincial and Qingdao authorities immediately activated emergency response mechanisms, mobilizing emergency management, fire and rescue, public security, health and industry bodies to carry out rescue operations.

By 7:24 pm that day, the search and rescue operation had concluded, with all 30 trapped people found. The five injured were taken to hospital, where they remain in stable condition, while 25 were confirmed dead.

Experts specializing in fire investigations from five provincial-level regions arrived at the site early on Friday to conduct preliminary inspections and analysis.

The investigation team includes representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Transport, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, the National Fire and Rescue Administration and the Shandong provincial government.

Officials from relevant departments of the Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Commission of Supervision, as well as the Supreme People's Procuratorate, attended the meeting.

yangzekun@chinadaily.com.cn