Recently, in Haiyu Town, Changshu City, Jiangsu Province, a cargo ship exploded, resulting in at least 4 deaths.
According to the Changshu City Maritime Search and Rescue Center, around 11:40 pm on the night of the 20th, a cargo ship caught fire in the navigation channel outside Wangyu Lock. The fire was extinguished around 12:30 am on the 21st. Two people were rescued from the ship, and the rest of the personnel are still being searched for. The cause of the accident is under investigation. The report did not specify the exact number of people on the cargo ship when the incident occurred.
On the 25th, the center responded to “News” that the explosion had resulted in 4 deaths, with one person still missing.
Local villagers reported hearing a loud explosion that night, as if there was an explosion in the river. They rushed to see flames shooting into the sky.
Netizens left comments online about the incident. “As time passes quickly” commented in the video section, “Around half past eleven at night, a loud explosion scared the hell out of people.” Another netizen, “Yanggege’s father,” revealed, “My brother-in-law is one of the four (deceased).”
A reporter from Jiemu News learned from local relevant departments and residents that when the explosion occurred, about 1 kilometer away from the incident site, old houses in the village had shattered glass, and hanging lamps and wall paintings in villagers’ homes had fallen.
An employee of Changshu Wangyu Ship Lock Limited Company stated that the specific location of the cargo ship explosion was near the confluence of Wangyu River and the Yangtze River. Currently, the scene is still under the traffic control of the maritime department.
A rescue worker told the Beijing News that the poor visibility in the Yangtze River and the uneven underwater terrain added a certain level of difficulty to the rescue operation.