A fire that broke out on a foreign cargo ship undergoing repairs at Qingdao Port in China's Shandong Province has killed 25 people.

The blaze erupted on Thursday aboard the Liberia-flagged cargo vessel Ocean Melody at Qingdao Beihai Shipyard while maintenance and inspection work was being carried out. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

According to Chinese state media, 42 people were on board when the fire started. Twelve people were safely evacuated, while five injured people were taken to hospital. Rescue teams later confirmed that the missing people had also died, raising the death toll to 25.

The fire was brought under control after emergency teams responded to the scene. Chinese President Xi Jinping called for intensified rescue efforts, a swift investigation into the cause of the accident and accountability for those responsible.

The vessel had arrived at the shipyard on August 31 for repair work and remained docked when the fire broke out.(ILKHA)