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This is the moment a ship carrying ‘dangerous’ cargo exploded in one of China’s busiest ports.

The blast happened at about 1.50pm local time after the vessel docked at the Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan in the eastern Zhejiang province.

Video shared by the state-run China News Network (CCTV) showed the fireball erupting and flinging debris high into the air.

The shockwave from the blast was so strong the roof of a nearby company canteen collapsed and bottles rattled in stores.

Thick black smoke was later seen rising from the front of the cargo hold.

No injuries have been reported so far, port officials said. People in the nearby area are being evacuated.

The ship, the Dong Ming, is owned by the Taiwanese container shipping company Yang Ming, and was moored at the Beilun Port area, maritime search and rescue officials said in a statement.

Beilun Port Area of Zhoushan Port in Ningbo, Zhejiang (Picture: Weibo)
The ship’s cargo was said to be a type of chemical compound (Picture: Weibo)

The crate contained a type of organic peroxide, a family of reactive chemicals, news outlets on Weibo reported.

The cargo was rated with a hazard class of 5.2, meaning it needs to be refrigerated or else combust and spew harmful or flammable fumes.

Yet the cargo’s water-cooling system was not ‘plugged in’, a shipping worker told reporters, with Ningbo’s recent hot weather potentially a factor.

The ship was bound for the Middle East from Shanghai, they added.

Fire tugboats and crews are at the scene.

Port officials are investigating the incident.

The Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan is one of the world’s largest ports, handling hundreds of millions of tankers, bulk carriers and containerships every year.

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