A fire erupted on a foreign-flagged cargo ship docked at a port in eastern China, resulting in heavy casualties, according to state media.
President Xi Jinping has called for immediate search and rescue operations and a thorough investigation.
Premier Li Qiang stressed the importance of rescuing any trapped individuals and preventing secondary disasters.
The vessel was undergoing maintenance at a shipyard in Qingdao when the blaze broke out at 11:15 local time (03:15 GMT), state news agency Xinhua reported.