A “powerful explosion” ripped through a container ship at a port in eastern China on Friday, state media reported, leaving emergency services rushing to douse the flames.
No deaths or injuries were immediately reported from the blast, despite footage showing a ball of flames engulfing much of the ship’s deck and spewing debris high into the air.
The explosion occurred at around 1:40 pm (0540 GMT) on the bow of the YM Mobility, moored at Ningbo-Zhoushan port in Zhejiang province, state news agency Xinhua reported.
“An investigation is underway” to determine the cause, it said.
Another video clip showed red fire engines spraying jets of water onto the charred vessel as black smoke billowed into the sky.
State broadcaster CCTV said the fire had been extinguished by 5:00 pm and that the local coast guard had been brought in to assist with the response.
“After preliminary verification, all dock workers and vessel staff are safe and there are no casualties,” CCTV reported.
The vast Ningbo-Zhoushan port is one of the world’s busiest in terms of cargo throughput.
Industrial accidents occur frequently in China due to poor safety training and lax protocols.
Stay Updated with news.freeptomaineradio.com’s Daily Newsletter
Stay informed! Subscribe to our daily newsletter to receive updates on our latest blog posts directly in your inbox. Don’t let important information get buried by big tech.
Current subscribers: