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Huge explosions leave at least 300 wounded in China's Tianjin
At least 300 people were wounded on Wednesday by a huge explosion of inflammable material stored in a warehouse in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin, state media reported.
Huge explosions at a container port in the northeastern Chinese city of Tianjin have injured at least 300 people, state media said Thursday.
The state-run Beijing News said on its website that between 300 and 400 people had been admitted to hospitals in the city, east of Beijing. It says the explosions shattered windows and knocked off doors of buildings in the area.
Police in Tianjin said an initial blast took place late Wednesday night in shipping containers at a warehouse for hazardous materials owned by a logistics company.
The official Xinhua News agency said an initial explosion triggered other blasts at nearby businesses. The National Earthquake Bureau reported two major blasts before midnight, the first with an equivalent of 3 tons of TNT, and the second with the equivalent of 21 tons.
Tianjin explosion, reportedly caused by inflammables and explosives at a container terminal injured hundreds of civilians. (China Xinhua News Twitter page)
Photos circulating online show a gigantic fireball high in the sky, with a mushroom-cloud.
State broadcaster CCTV said six battalions of firefighters had brought the ensuing fire under control, although it was still burning. It says the firefighters were combing the neighborhood for possible injured residents.
