China Confirms Fire on board Type 075 amphibious assault ship

China's first Type 075 amphibious assault ship (also called helicopter carrier) caught on fire on Saturday at the Hudong Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai but the damage was not ‘significant.’

Beijing-based naval expert Li Jie was quoted by Global Times on Saturday that smoke concentrated on the middle and rear areas of the ship. Judging from the photos, the cause for the fire is likely be problems with the power and mechanical systems, sparks caused by electric welding, a fire in the kitchen or some flammable materials on deck.

Judging from the thickness of the smoke, the fire was put under control quickly, and since no open flames were seen, the fire should have been extinguished very quickly, Li said.

An expert in the shipbuilding industry said that the thick smoke indicated the emergency response was fast. “Although thick smoke was seen on the ship, the accident was not significant and will not wield any major impact on further construction,” state-owned Global Times publication reported quoting ‘sources in the know.’

Photos circulating on the internet showed that the stern of a Type 075 amphibious assault ship was blackened by a fire, and certain videos showed that there was fire at the stern, and columns of smoke were billowing with the wind, the publication said.

The ship, the first Type 075 of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, and the warship was still under construction. According to plan, the ship would conduct equipment calibration, mooring and sea trials.

In line with general rules, related testing processes after the ship's launch are still under the management of the shipyard rather than the navy, the report said.