An explosion occurred on the YM Mobility container ship at Ningbo at Zhoushan Port, one of the world’s busiest ports, in East China’s Zhejiang Province on Friday afternoon. Local port authorities confirmed the incident, which took place at 13:45 on a transit hazardous material container ship owned by Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation.

The explosion caused a fire while the ship docked at Beilun’s No. 2 terminal port. Fortunately, authorities reported no casualties. Firefighters quickly extinguished the open flames. Moreover, the terminal remains operational and unaffected by the incident. Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the incident.

The Ningbo Maritime Search and Rescue Center promptly activated an emergency response plan. Authorities dispatched maritime patrol vessels to the scene to enforce security measures. Additionally, they sent three firefighting tugboats to assist. Moreover, they deployed land-based firefighting teams to manage the situation effectively. Together, these resources aimed to ensure safety and control the incident..

The hazardous material in the YM Mobility explosion has been identified as Class 5. Specifically, this class includes oxidizing substances and organic peroxides. Furthermore, the incident occurred at Ningbo-Zhoushan Port. Consequently, this classification provides insight into the nature of the explosive cargo. TThese materials tend to decompose exothermically at high temperatures. Consequently, they can potentially explode in confined conditions. An industry insider noted that companies typically transport such materials in refrigerated containers. This practice helps maintain controlled temperatures. Notably, the temperature in Beilun district reached 38°C at 15:00 on Friday. Therefore, this high temperature may have contributed to the incident.

The “YM Mobility” vessel is operated by Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation. It measures 305 meters long and 40 meters wide. Moreover, it has a capacity of 6,589 Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs). The vessel flies the flag of Liberia. Furthermore, it departed from Shanghai port on Wednesday. Subsequently, it docked at Ningbo Beilun terminal early Friday morning. Finally, it underwent refueling operations there.

Ningbo Zhoushan port, recognized as the largest port in the world by cargo tonnage, achieved a cargo throughput of 708 million tons in the first half of the year. The incident, though serious, has not disrupted the port’s operations.