Asia’s Biggest Roll-On Roll-Off Ferry Has Fire and Explosion

What’s new: A passenger and cargo ferry had an explosion after a fire Tuesday at Weihai Port in eastern China. No injuries or casualties were reported.

The ship Zhong Hua Fu Qiang was en route to Dalian when smoke emerged from a truck loaded onboard. The vessel turned back to Weihai Port, and passengers and crew were evacuated, according to local authorities.

An explosion occurred on board during the rescue. The causes of the fire and explosion are under investigation, local authorities said.

The background: The Zhong Hua Fu Qiang is a roll-on roll-off passenger and cargo ship built in 2020 and launched in October as a daily ferry between Weihai and Dalian. It is owned by a subsidiary of Bohai Ferry Group Co. Ltd. (603167.SH).

The ship, designed to carry wheeled cargo such as cars and trucks that are driven on and off, is the largest such vessel in Asia, with capacity for 2,262 passengers and 233 vehicles. The ferry is 186 meters long and 28 meters wide and cost nearly 400 million yuan ($61.5 million) to build.

Another ferry operated by Bohai Ferry had a fire in May 2019 with no injuries or casualties.

Quick Takes are condensed versions of China-related stories for fast news you can use. To read the full story in Chinese, click here.

Contact reporter Denise Jia (huijuanjia@caixin.com) and editor Bob Simison (bobsimison@caixin.com)

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