BEIJING—One of the cargo ships operated by Taiwanese shipping company Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp. caught fire on Friday in China's Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, one of the busiest ports in the world.
According to Chinese official media earlier, there was an explosion at the port, and shockwaves could be felt up to 0.6 miles (kilometers) away.
According to Yang Ming Marine Transport, a fire broke out when the YM Mobility was at the dock. Around 1:40 p.m., there were no recorded casualties or injuries following the explosion. local time, according to Xinhua, China's official news agency.
“At present, immediate fire-fighting measures have been taken at the scene, the fire has been brought under control, and all the ship’s personnel have been safely evacuated,” the company said in a statement.
China's national broadcaster CCTV captured the cargo of the Liberian-flagged freighter exploding among its containers in the bow, sending it scattering and leaving a column of black smoke.
According to the Ningbo Maritime Search and Rescue Center, the ship was carrying hazardous materials when it docked at the port's Beilun terminal.
A request for comment from Reuters was not immediately answered by Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp.
According to state-run Qilu Evening News, some offices next to the dock were struck by shock waves from the explosion, but the ship's crew and dock personnel were unharmed.
“Our windows were damaged, and the ceiling of our canteen collapsed a little,” a staffer at a company located about 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) from the ship told Qilu Evening News.
Ningbo Zhoushan Port Co. is in charge of the expansive port in the eastern province of Zhejiang, China.
It is a significant port for the loading and unloading of crude oil from tankers.
