Massive Explosion Erupts As Container Ship Suddenly Blows Up At China’s Ningbo Port

A massive explosion erupted on the Taiwanese cargo ship YM Mobility, loaded with hazardous goods at the Beilun 2 container terminal in Ningbo, China.

The explosion, which occurred in the Beilun Port section of Ningbo-Zhoushan Port in Zhejiang Province, caused a fire that has now been controlled. No casualties or injuries have been reported.

According to MarineTraffic tracking data, the Liberian-flagged vessel arrived from Shanghai.

All crew members were successfully evacuated, and the incident had no immediate impact on major shipping routes.

The port operator, Ningbo-Zhoushan, confirmed that the ship was docked at the terminal and that the cause of the explosion is still unknown.

BREAKING: Online videos show an explosion on a ship at a container terminal in #Ningbo, China.
The exact cause is subject to official investigation. pic.twitter.com/ti3cnebJgk

— Asia Tech (@asiatechwire) August 9, 2024

Video Credits: Asia Tech/X

The vessel’s owner, Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp., reported that the hazardous items required dry, cold storage with no electricity. The footage of the incident shows a large fireball exploding from the container, with thick black smoke rising high above the port.

Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, China’s second-busiest port and one of the world’s busiest, handles large volumes of cargo, processing about 900 million tons in 2015. The explosion’s impact on global shipping has yet to be entirely assessed, but no severe disruptions have been reported so far.

An investigation is ongoing to identify the cause of the explosion.

This latest incident resembles other maritime tragedies, such as the terrible blast in Beirut in August 2020, which killed 218 people and injured almost 7,000.

However, no legal action has been taken in the Beirut incident, and the cause of the Ningbo explosion is still being investigated.

Reference: CNBC

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