A “strong explosion” occurred on a container ship at a port in eastern China on Friday, state media reported, with emergency teams dispatched to put out the fire.
No deaths or injuries were immediately reported, although images showed a ball of fire engulfing much of the ship's deck and debris scattered across the area.
The explosion occurred at around 1.40 p.m. (0540 GMT) on the bow of the YM Mobility ship docked at the Ningbo-Zhoushan port in Zhejiang province, the official Xinhua news agency reported. The press release said an “investigation is underway” to determine the cause.
Another video showed fire engines throwing jets of water onto the charred ship as black smoke rose into the sky.
State broadcaster CCTV said the fire had been put out by 5 p.m. and the local coast guard had been mobilized to respond.
“After an initial check, all the stevedores on board are safe and there were no injuries,” CCTV reported. The massive Ningbo-Zhoushan port is one of the world's busiest in terms of cargo handling. Industrial accidents are common in China due to poor safety training and lax protocols.
