The central parity rate of the Chinese currency renminbi, or the yuan, strengthened 23 pips to 6.7743 against the U.S. dollar Friday, according to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System.
In China's spot foreign exchange market, the yuan is allowed to rise or fall by 2 percent from the central parity rate each trading day.
The central parity rate of the yuan against the U.S. dollar is based on a weighted average of prices offered by market makers before the opening of the interbank market each business day.
Chinese yuan strengthens to 6.7743 against USD Friday
A search and rescue operation came to a close Thursday for a cargo ship fire at a shipyard in Qingdao City of east China's Shandong Province, after all the 25 individuals initially reported to be missing were located and confirmed dead.
The fire broke out at around 11:15 when the ship was undergoing maintenance at China State Shipbuilding Corporation Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., according to the municipal fire and rescue bureau.
A total of 42 people were aboard the ship. Twelve were safely evacuated, and five injured individuals were taken to the hospital, where they are in stable condition.
The blaze was extinguished at around 14:30.
Emergency management, fire and rescue, police, and medical departments were immediately mobilized to carry out search and rescue operations following the accident.
"Inside the cabin, it was extremely hot, and very slippery because the hot steam had melted all the old and accumulated grease and grime," said Hao Xiang, a firefighter.
In the burn unit of Qingdao West Coast New Area Central Hospital, two injured patients are receiving treatment. They sustained minor burns to the face and upper limbs and are in stable condition, according to an attending doctor.
"Upon admission of the patients injured in the accident, we immediately conducted a comprehensive checkup on them and identified their injury to be a mild burn. We provided them with burn dressing changes, antibiotics to prevent infection, and rapid fluid replacement, among other treatments," said Wang Guangjun, director of the Department of Hepatobiliary, Thyroid and Breast Burn Surgery under the Qingdao West Coast New Area Central Hospital.
The cause of the accident is now under investigation.
Rescue concludes after 25 confirmed dead in cargo ship fire in east China
