One person has been reported missing after an explosion followed by a fire broke out aboard a container vessel while berthed at the Port of Yangluo in China’s Hubei province. The incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, when a blast in the aft cargo hold of the locally owned Yihang Mingyuan sparked a fire and caused several containers to fall into the water.
Fire trucks from local agencies were dispatched to the port to attempt to extinguish the blaze while port officials issued a shutdown order and instructed all on-site personnel to evacuate to a safe area.
The missing individual has been identified as one of Yihang Mingyuan's crew.
Authorities are now monitoring the vessel and the surrounding area in addition to preparing for the recovery of the containers that ended up in the water.
The Wuhan branch of the China Maritime Safety Administration has begun investigating the incident as the search for the missing crewmember continues.
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