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http://www.businessinsider.com/a-huge-explosion-just-rocked-a-city-in-china-and-no-one-knows-where-it-came-from-2015-8

Wow.

"A local hospital has so far received more 300 people injured in the blast, a CCTV America producer reported, and more are expected."

Holy shit, mushroom cloud? Is this actually true? Or is business insider just reporting something a social media site said without fact checking it?

Here's the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHQPX2TJPQc

Mushroom cloud. Indeed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQwRMGa4jsU

Damn thats pretty messed up. The first bit of the clip freaked the crap out me,forgot to turn down volume.

What happen?
I hope that this is not another terrorist attack.
Chinese authorities have large ethnic and security problems with Muslim rebels from minority people Uyghur.
I hope it will not be too much damage from this accident.
The media in my country speak about hundreds injured.

More convinced now, but to be honest, if I was in the city itself I wouldn't be taking any chances and get the fuck out of there lol, you just know any government not just China would cover this up as best they can.

This is crazy. Really huge explosion. Lets hope there is not too much casualtie.

Reports suggest that there are hundreds of casualties (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-33896292)
though I'm not sure how accurate it is because it happened just few hours ago.

The Japanese are attacking again, they will finish what they started! :D

Jokes aside that's a real tragedy, Chinese cities are so heavily populated that even if such explosion destroyed a couple blocks the causalities would be counted in thousands. One moment you're eating in a restaurant the other you're in the middle of a fiery mushroom...

north korea is actually closer to tianjin than japan is. a little bit too close, in fact.

That was a ship blast at a sea port. Ship was loaded with explosives. TNT or something.
More than a hundred dead for sure.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snLst-ZSxqw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZDStWwx-jk

Massive explosions have hit China's northern port city of Tianjin, leaving at least 13 people dead and hundreds more injured.

State media said the blasts happened in a warehouse storing "dangerous and chemical goods" in the port area of the city.

Pictures and video on social media showed flames lighting up the sky, and buildings are said to have collapsed.

Hospitals are reported to be overwhelmed with casualties.

The editor of the BBC's Chinese Service, Raymond Li, says all indications are that it is an industrial accident.

State broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) said a shipment of explosives had detonated but this was not confirmed.

The first explosion at about 23:30 (16:30 GMT) was followed by another seconds later. Shockwaves were felt several kilometres away.

The China Earthquake Networks Centre said the magnitude of the first explosion was the equivalent of detonating three tons of TNT, while the second was the equivalent of 21 tons of the explosive.

Further blasts were subsequently triggered nearby, Xinhua state news agency said.

Reports of the number of injured varied from 250 to 400. Tianjin's municipal government said 11 were in a critical condition.

China blasts: Tianjin port city rocked by explosions

Massive explosions have hit China's northern city of Tianjin, leaving at least 17 people dead and hundreds more injured.
State media said the blasts happened in a warehouse storing "dangerous and chemical goods" in the port area of the city.
Pictures and video on social media showed flames lighting up the sky, and buildings are said to have collapsed.
Hospitals are reported to be overwhelmed with casualties.
President Xi Jinping has urged "all-out efforts" to rescue victims and contain the fire, Xinhua state news agency said

https://i.imgur.com/t5j4rbe.jpg

Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-33896292

Port explosion :/

The first explosion occurred at about 23:30 local time (15:30 GMT) on Wednesday, followed seconds later by another, more powerful blast and a series of smaller explosions.
The impact of the blasts could be felt several kilometres away, and was registered as seismic activity at a US Geological Survey monitoring unit in Beijing 160km (100 miles) away.
The China Earthquake Networks Centre said the magnitude of the first explosion was the equivalent of detonating three tonnes of TNT, while the second was the equivalent of 21 tonnes.

https://i.imgur.com/zW7ky0z.jpg


Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33900268

I'm wondering if any of those chemical goods got released into the air, if they will cause further problems later...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Tianjin_explosion#Reaction

Social media users have reported that their posts regarding the blasts are being deleted.

da faq, china?

Sheesh, also "It was reported that eight hours after the explosion, Tianjin Television Satellite Channel had not reported on the incident and are reportedly awaiting permission to cover the incident"

They need permission to cover their news... crazy.

‏RT @Musa8964
#TianjinExplosion Police Announces Zero Tolerance on Spreading Non-Official Casualty Data
天津网警：敢传播非官方伤亡数字者零容忍 
 http://news.sohu.com/20150813/n418764462.shtml …

Centralized Power of the people's republic of...

Apocalyptic aftermath of Chinese warehouse explosion which left at least 44 dead: Blasts were so big they registered as earthquakes

At least 44 people killed, more than 500 injured and 36 firefighters missing after massive blasts in Tianjin, China
Two blasts erupted in warehouse shipment of explosives at about 11.30pm local time, with blast felt miles away
Dramatic videos of the explosion show flames erupting into the night sky as residents told how windows shattered



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3195477/Fifty-people-injured-enormous-blast-explosives-shipment-hits-Chinese-city.html


------------------------------
Only 44 dead?

the fire started at around 10:50PM and the huge explosion happened approximately 40 minutes later. I think that's long enough for any bystanders to get their ass off the place.

also the blast site is located in the middle of containers and port buildings and a huge parking lot (and is near the sea).

The Chinese News Network is not famous for its truth telling...

Video showing the First+Second explosion and also a better view of the launched fireballs from the second explosion:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1aHADL2a24

Yeah, 44 dead...I'm not buying that either.


http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/13/asia/china-tianjin-explosions/

Thanks for posting that. I was interested in what chemicals were going to be released... I can see this being really bad. :(

21 tons is not actually huge. Big boom yes, but there have been a lot of bigger blasts down the years - NOT counting atomic.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Largest_artificial_non-nuclear_explosions

 Look at the explosion that leveled Halifax, Canada - estimated at a bit under 3 THOUSAND of tons of TnT equivilent - this was generally considered to be the largest man-caused explosion for many years.

 The Port Chicago explosion has some interesting conspiracy theory around it that it was actually a small nuke test, mostly caused by a few folks from the Manhattan Project being involved in the investigation.

 For comparison, the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nukes were both in the 10 to 20 KILOton TnT equivilent range - about 2-3 times the effect of the N1 launch explosion.


 When Krakatoa went off, though, that explosion has been estimated in the 200 MEGAton range - bigger than ANY nuke ever detonated by about 4 times.

 THAT was a huge explosion - but there have been bigger in nature.

I wouldn't bet on the 44 dead being correct - but industrial/warehouse area and it appeared to be night when the blast occured, so it's possible.

 (edit) Official figure is up to 50 as of the last I saw.

 On the other hand, that's an official figure reported by the Chinese, who are NOT exactly well known for "truth in news reporting"....

Omg, that pictures with hundreds of cars destroyed broke my heart. So many money lost, it is a miracle than only less than 50 people are dead.
If this explosion wasn't in China I would call it a  terrorist attack but knowing how Chinese are not really primal example of good Occupational Health and Safety at work I think probably some worker was smoking cigarettes near that TNT cargo.

no, i suppose summer hot temperature there making chemical cargo on fire

I saw this on news just a few minutes ago.
It's really bad and I hope they recover soon:(

This is the most closest . he's probably dead now
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVvrw98MAOw

This particular video is crazy... you can actually see the shock wave rip everything apart as it moves towards him.

Yanno, this is kinda of a bad thing to happen, with recent Chinese activity in the South China Sea and while reading "Red Storm Rising".....

The blasts were more powerful than the Horoshima and Nagasaki bombs, but without nuclear effects(and some pictures make it really looks like a nuclear attack anyway)

waiting to know what caused it

damn that's scary as hell

 No. Not even close. There wouldn't BE a city left if the blasts had been even close to the power of the Hiroshima or Nagasaki bombs.

 Either bomb drop leveled square MILES of the city it was dropped over, not blocks.

Terrible explosion, miraculously only 44 people died, although likely more people die from the consequences of the explosion :(

That's awful. I bet a lot of those first responders were killed immediately with the giant explosion. Terrible.

The first dispatched firefighters and police to the location are all dead, they went there expecting a gas station on fire, but what happened after was a big scale chemical explosion.

http://pics.v6.top.rbk.ru/v6_top_pics/resized/800xH/media/img/2/80/754394347825802.jpg
Looking at this, it's hard to imagine that it's still far weaker than a nuke.

Just saw the latest data - Tianjin explosion is estimated to be ~21 tons TNT equivalent. That's ~700 times weaker than Hiroshima bomb and ~ 2.7 million times weaker than the most powerful bomb ever tested.

Zone 2 kilometers evacuated, No disclosure of what is released into the atmosphere and how toxic... 85 dead

RT @PDChina: #Breaking: new explosions happened at #TianjinBlast site Sat. All within radius of 3km have been forcibly evacuated

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CMbVAutUwAA9LJG.jpg

the blast only destroyed most properties within 150 meter range. nuclear will completely obliterate anything within 1KM range. so yeah. it's still far weaker.

This is extremely bad
The photos are scaring

RT @PDChina : #Update: anti-chemical warfare corps are sent to handle highly toxic sodium cyanide discovered at #TianjinBlast site

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CMbj5SBUAAAG7o7.jpg


RT @PDChina: Govt did not organize 'evacuation within 2km radius' of blast site: #Tianjin authorities clarify at latest press con.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CMcUhMKUYAE_hn1.jpg

Hmm... according to the latest reports, some 17 firefighters lost their lives. Reminds me of the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. On that occasion also, the firefighters were sent to handle the situation, without adequate precautionary measures. Some of them died within a few hours time, the others survived for a few days more.

I sympathize with the families of the victims

China explosions: New blasts reported in Tianjin as residents evacuated over chemical fears (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-15/tianjin-residents-near-blast-site-evacuated-over-chemical-fears/6700008)

http://www.abc.net.au/news/image/6700046-3x2-700x467.jpg

Evacuations as chemical fears grow at China blast site (http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/08/relatives-grieve-china-explosions-death-toll-jumps-tianjin-150815040759886.html)

"Residents living close to the site of giant explosions in the Chinese port of Tianjin have been evacuated over fears of toxic contamination as new fires ignited....."

Wind change at China blast site prompts 'orderly' evacuation (http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/15/us-china-blast-idUSKCN0QH2B220150815)

From post 27 - "hazardous chemicals stored by the company concerned include sodium cyanide (NaCN), toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and calcium carbide (CaC2)"

CDC: SODIUM CYANIDE (http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ershdb/emergencyresponsecard_29750036.html) : Systemic Agent

"Sodium cyanide releases hydrogen cyanide gas, a highly toxic chemical asphyxiant that interferes with the body's ability to use oxygen. Exposure to sodium cyanide can be rapidly fatal."

It doesn't look good. I was concerned as soon as I heard there were chemicals stored there...

I saw a video of someone (in hazmat/cleanup outfit) pouring water on this bubbling puddle on the ground, which then burst into flames  ??? The worker was asian but I'm not 100% it was recorded at Tianjin...anyone know what I'm referring to?

I don't know, but on the CDC page I linked to it says "Sodium cyanide is water-reactive." That means it would react when touched with water right?

More from that page:

 Sodium cyanide is shipped as pellets or briquettes. It absorbs water from air (is hygroscopic or deliquescent).

METHODS OF DISSEMINATION:

    Indoor Air: Sodium cyanide can be released into indoor air as fine droplets, liquid spray (aerosol), or fine particles.
    Water: Sodium cyanide can be used to contaminate water.
    Food: Sodium cyanide can be used to contaminate food.
    Outdoor Air: Sodium cyanide can be released into outdoor air as fine droplets, liquid spray (aerosol), or fine particles.
    Agricultural: If sodium cyanide is released as fine droplets, liquid spray (aerosol), or fine particles, it has the potential to contaminate agricultural products.

ROUTES OF EXPOSURE: Sodium cyanide can affect the body through ingestion, inhalation, skin contact, or eye contact.

They'll find more, the trouble is that the Chinese media can't publish anything without being censored. Same for social media, apparently any posts about deaths are being deleted instantly

Even social media users will be having difficulty in getting accurate information. The entire area is cordoned off, and only military personnel and members of paramilitary formations are allowed inside. Likewise, ordinary people (including relatives of the dead) are being prevented from visiting the hospitals and morgues, where the bodies are kept.

CNN is reporting that the death toll has surpassed 100 mark (according to the government, the toll stands at 105 now). Well... these are the official figures. We might never know the real death toll. That said, the government officials are denying news reports that they have issued evacuation orders for people who are staying nearby.

I don't see the logic in denying reports like this - it was a goddamn chemical plant that exploded!  So they censor this report, hoping people think China is forcing them to stay?

That's a big hole.

Chinese authorities have ordered the evacuation of residents within a 3km radius of the Tianjin blast site over fears of chemical contamination.

The evacuations came after an apparent change in wind direction, and as police confirmed the highly toxic chemical sodium cyanide was found near the site.

At least 112 people died in the blasts, officials said on Sunday, and more than 700 have been hospitalised.

Officials have identified 24 of the dead, with 88 still to be identified.

Remarkably, a man was found alive just 50m from the blast core, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported.

The man was able to talk when he was found and is now in hospital, according to the report.

Latest pictures of the aftermath

People sheltering at a school used as a safe haven since the disaster have now been asked to leave wearing masks and long trousers, reports say.

The order came after a change in wind direction, prompting fears that toxic particles that would have been blown out to sea could be blown inland.

Troops equipped with chemical warfare protection have now entered the site of the blasts.

The People's Daily newspaper tweeted that the specialist troops had been sent to handle the highly toxic sodium cyanide found at the site.

Police said the discovery occurred "roughly east of the blast site" in an industrial zone, according to state-run Beijing News.

Officials had until then only confirmed the presence of calcium carbide, potassium nitrate and sodium nitrate. Calcium carbide reacts with water to create the highly explosive acetylene.

Officials have so far insisted that air and water quality levels are safe.

Meanwhile Chinese President Xi Jinping urged the authorities to learn the "extremely profound" lessons and keep "safe growth" and "people's interest first" in mind to avoid similar accidents.
What is sodium cyanide?

The chemical sodium cyanide is white crystalline or granular powder which can be rapidly fatal if inhaled or ingested, as it interferes with the body's ability to use oxygen.

It is mostly used in chemical manufacturing, for fumigation and in the mining industry to extract gold and silver.

It is soluble in water, and absorbs water from air, and its dust is also easy to inhale. When dissolved or burned, it releases the highly poisonous gas hydrogen cyanide.

Potent chemical mix behind blasts

What we know about explosions

The questions being asked by Chinese citizens

'Hero' firefighters hailed:

'Like the end of the world': Residents' stories

Some fires have continued to smoulder and at least one reignited on Saturday. Xinhua said several cars at the site had "exploded again".

Of the 721 people injured, 25 are in critical condition and 33 are serious.

At least 21 firefighters are among the dead and an unknown number remain missing.

Dozens of relatives of the missing tried to disrupt a news conference given by officials on Saturday, demanding to know the fate of their loved ones.

"We have gone to each and every hospital by ourselves and not found them," Reuters news agency quoted Wang Baoxia, whose elder brother is missing, as saying.

"There is no government official willing to meet us. Not even one."

The operators of the Tianjin site have been accused of violating safety rules.

The Chinese government has ordered officials to make nationwide checks on dangerous chemicals and explosives and to "crack down unwaveringly on illegal activities to ensure safety"

Are you in Tianjin? Have you been affected by the explosions? You can share your comments by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:

    Whatsapp: +44 7525 900971
    Send pictures/video to yourpics@bbc.co.uk
    Upload your pictures / video here
    Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay
    Send an SMS or MMS to +44 7624 800 100

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-33945293

Hmm.... so the death toll among the firefighters has risen to 21? A few basic precautionary measures could have avoided these casualties. An unknown number of policemen, paramilitary personnel, and soldiers also died during the relief efforts. So it is very likely that less than half of the total casualties were from the industrial workers.

Was it aluminium melted? That was very high temperature there. Still can't believe it was just 21 tons of TNT. Looks like a way more powerful blast? Could be hundreds of tons.

At a blast like this, there should be hundreds of casualties. But explosion happend during the night. There were definetely less people in the port area. So less died. BUt already more than a hundred dead bodies discovered.

That car parking lot was at a considerable distance from where the explosion actually happened. Still we can see molten metal on the floor. Aluminium melts at 660.3 °C and therefore we can safely assume that the explosion was much more powerful than that was reported by the government officials.


The officials are saying that a "few" dozen people are still missing. I doubt whether all of their remains might be found, given the high temperatures which the blast has produced.

Two massive explosions in the port of Tianjin, northern China, have killed dozens of people, left hundreds injured and devastated large areas of the city.

Much of what took place, or is still happening now, is unclear - but here is what we do know.
How did the blasts happen?

They took place at a warehouse at the port which was reportedly storing "dangerous and chemical goods". The building is owned by Tianjin Dongjiang Port Ruihai International Logistics.

Ruihai Logistics was reportedly set up in 2011, and it handles about one million tonnes of cargo annually. Chinese media said that at least one member of Ruihai's staff had been arrested.

Officials insist it is not yet clear what triggered the two blasts, about 30 seconds apart.

Before the explosions, many firefighters were already at the scene trying to control a blaze, AFP reports.

There have been suggestions that water sprayed on some of the chemicals could have led to the blasts.

Calcium carbide, known to be at the site, reacts with water to create the highly explosive acetylene.

Chemical experts suggest an acetylene blast could then have detonated ammonium nitrate for a much larger blast.

Profile of Tianjin city
How big were the explosions?

The China Earthquake Networks Centre said the initial explosion, in a city with a population of nearly 7.5 million. had a power equivalent to three tonnes of TNT detonating, while the second was the equivalent of 21 tonnes.

The second was so big that satellites orbiting Earth picked it up as well. Chinese data site Cnbeta published pictures showing the sudden flare.
How bad is the devastation?

The explosion destroyed a significant amount of goods stored at and around the port, in the Binhai New District.

Large shipping containers were tossed into the air like matchsticks and were crumpled by the blasts.

A logistics park containing several thousand cars was incinerated by the fireball. Renault says some 1,500 of its cars were lost, while Hyundai said it had around 4,000 cars on the site - although it has not yet assessed the level of damage.

The blasts rippled out several kilometres from the port into residential areas.

The impact rocked entire buildings, shattered windows and tore doors off their hinges.

More than 720 people were taken to hospital, of whom nearly 60 are either critically or seriously injured. Reuters reports that several thousand people living near the port have had to leave their homes, and are now staying in local schools.
How are the blasts being dealt with?

Chinese media say more than 1,000 firefighters are still at the scene, with some fires still burning.

More than 200 chemical and biological experts from the military are on site.

President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang have vowed to hold a thorough investigation and ensure "open and transparent information disclosure to the public".

China has also ordered a nationwide check on dangerous chemicals and explosives.

In a report, Xinhua said the cabinet, the State Council, had ordered "governments at all levels to reinforce the safety management".

They should "firmly implement special regulatory measures for highly toxic chemicals such as cyanide, as well as inflammable and explosive materials".
Is it safe?

Reuters reported that, according to a 2014 government assessment, the Ruihai facility was designed to store chemicals including butanone, an explosive industrial solvent, sodium cyanide and compressed natural gas.

The company also reportedly handles toluene diisocyanate, which is used in the production of flexible polyurethane foams.

Officials have confirmed that calcium carbide, potassium nitrate, ammonium nitrate and sodium nitrate were at the warehouse.

Police have also confirmed that sodium cyanide was present near the site. It is soluble in water and, when dissolved or burned, it releases the highly poisonous gas hydrogen cyanide.

You can read more about the toxic chemicals believed to be at the site here.

Xinhua said on Thursday that drains from Tianjin to the Bohai sea - a gulf in the Yellow Sea - had been closed "to stem a chemical leak".

One official on Friday insisted the "air and water in Tianjin is safe", but on Saturday the authorities ordered the evacuation of a 3km radius around the site.
What impact will this have on Tianjin port?

Tianjin is a significant industrial port near Beijing, and is a gateway for goods going in and out of the capital and the industrial north of the country. It is also a main trading hub for metals and steel.

The port remains partially open as the explosion was contained in one section.

But authorities have imposed stringent checks and movement in and out of the port has slowed down, which is likely to affect some industries, the Mysteel.com news portal reported.

Mining giant BHP Billiton said its port operations and shipments had been disrupted, although its iron ore discharging berth was undamaged.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-33844084

On Wednesday the 12th August 2015, at least two explosions occurred within 30 seconds of each other at a container storage station at the Port of Tianjin in the Binhai New Area of Tianjin, China.[7][8] Over one hundred people were killed and hundreds more injured. The cause of the explosions was not immediately known, but initial reports pointed to an industrial accident.[8] Fire caused by the initial explosions continued to burn out of control through the end of the week, repeatedly causing secondary explosions.

Chinese state media reported that at least the initial blast was from unknown hazardous materials in shipping containers at a plant warehouse owned by Ruihai Logistics,[9] a firm specializing in handling hazardous materials.[7]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Tianjin_explosions

Holy shit, did you notice the second explosions ? That was huge and it compelled the camera person to move from his place who was miles away from the place of incident. I haven't gotten any news here in india which shows that they have not yet revealed this.

Sadly those "missing" will never be accounted for since some may have been vaporized. Chinese media...  :o

other port explosions have killed large numbers of people in the past

Even the total number of missing people seems to be much greater than the government estimates. A large number of the workers were migrants from Western and North-Western China. Many of them were not registered with the authorities, and therefore they have not been counted in the final toll. There were some posts regarding this in social media, but the government deleted them.

Tianjin explosions: sodium cyanide on site may have been 70 times allowed amount

Official death toll rises to 112 as officials find what they believe to be hundreds of tonnes of the toxic chemical

Chinese officials have found what they believe to be hundreds of tonnes of sodium cyanide at two locations within the site of Wednesday’s deadly blasts in Tianjin as a massive cleanup effort continues, state media reported on Sunday.

The discovery came after reports claimed that up to 700 tonnes of the chemical – 70 times the permitted amount – were stored at the site, with some reports suggesting the company that owned the warehouse where the blasts originated, Rui Hai International Logistics, may have been illegally transporting chemicals.

On Sunday, authorities raised the official death toll to 112, and the number of missing people to 95, including 85 firefighters.

The Chinese premier, Li Keqiang, visited the area on Sunday afternoon on behalf of the president, Xi Jinping, according to the People’s Daily, the Chinese Communist party’s official mouthpiece.

On Saturday people were evacuated from within a 3km zone around the blast site as experts investigated the media claims that about the excessive amounts of sodium cyanide stored at the facility.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/16/tianjin-blasts-sodium-cyanide-on-site-may-have-been-70-times-allowed-amount

RT  ‏@rosetangy : #TianjinBlasts missing people's families protest, demanding info. disclosure: "Bring back my son!" #天津 大爆炸失蹤人員家屬上街示威

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CMgn9doUsAAFg6x.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CMg0xjmUAAA3wnE.jpg

it was reported that is car tire

OK.. here is the latest toll:

Confirmed deaths: 112 (including 21 firefighters)
Confirmed missing: 95 (including 85 firefighters)
Total: 207

As I had posted earlier, I believe that these figures are a vast underestimation. The real death toll might be somewhere around 500 to 1,000.  >:(

I agree these numbers are not right.


So, they are either incompetent, or someone did this on purpose... 70 times the amount is huge.

(The death toll from massive explosions in China's port of Tianjin has risen to 112 and 95 people, most of them fire fighters, are missing, state media said on Sunday, suggesting the toll will rise significantly)

Well they are suggesting the number will rise. There are still 720 wounded in the hospital as well in varying conditions.

here is a video : http://www.reuters.com/video/2015/08/16/families-of-missing-fire-fighters-demand?videoId=365302546&mod=related&channelName=environmentNews


The death toll rose to 112 from Wednesday's disaster, which sent massive yellow and orange fireballs into the sky, hurled burning debris across a vast industrial area, crumpled cars and shipping containers, burnt out buildings and shattered windows of nearby apartments.

The number of missing rose to 95, most of them fire fighters, state media said, suggesting the toll would rise significantly. More than 720 people remained in hospital

Read more : http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/16/us-china-blast-idUSKCN0QL03920150816

Those are just the confirmed deaths though, right? I mean, there was a high rise apartment building across the street from the source of the explosion...I imagine in the aftermath of this within the next few days the death toll is going to climb drastically

Tianjin blasts: fears over cyanide pollution as Chinese media lambasts officials

High levels of sodium cyanide have been detected by wastewater monitors amid growing anger at the blasts which killed at least 114 people

Alarming levels of sodium cyanide have been found at wastewater monitoring stations in the disaster-stricken city of Tianjin almost five days after a series of deadly explosions claimed at least 114 lives and sparked intense criticism of the Chinese government.

At a press conference on Monday morning, Bao Jingling, the chief engineer from Tianjin’s environmental protection bureau, said excessive levels of the toxic chemical had been detected in surface wastewater at the blast site. The highest levels detected were 27 times acceptable limits.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/17/tianjin-explosions-fears-over-pollution-as-chinese-media-lambasts-officials

China suspends or closes 50 websites for 'spreading rumors' about Tianjin blasts (http://shanghaiist.com/2015/08/16/china_punishes_50_websites.php)

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/tianjin-expl3.jpg

"China's censors have been working in overdrive trying to cleanse the web of "dangerous misinformation" in the days after Tianjin was hit by massive explosions. Working with impressive efficiency, they've already announced punishment for the worst offenders.

In a statement released late on Saturday, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) accused 50 websites of "creating panic by publishing unverified information or letting users spread groundless rumors," reports Xinhua.

Some of the more groundless of these included "the blasts killed at least 1,000 people," "shopping malls in Tianjin have been looted" and "there was a leadership change in Tianjin government."

The CAC said that these lies have negative effects on society—much like chemical explosions for example.18 of the websites have had their licenses revoked, while the 32 others have merely been suspended.

Tencent News reports that a male netizen has been sentenced to five days in jail after posting rumors that 1,300 people had been killed in the explosions....."

"They've also been liberally deleting posts on Weibo. One of the most deleted posts came from esteemed Caijing magazine, which cited an interview with a firefighter who said that they were not told that there were toxic chemicals on scene that would react dangerously with water. The post was retweeted almost 10,000 times before being harmonized. Other posts speculating about the contents of the pollutants and what that means for the city's air have also been among the top expunged."

http://bowenpress.com/news/bowen_12810.html

天津大爆炸:男子自称肇事者向当局自首
字型大小： reporter | 2015年8月18日 | 大陸, 獨家 | 2 Comments
【博闻社独家】本社独家获悉，就在当局对天津大爆炸进行紧锣密鼓调查，原因众说纷纭之时，一名37岁山西矿工自称是爆炸肇事者，17日向当局自首。当局正对他进行审查。

本社獲悉，天津大爆炸虽然已初步明确为消防人员不当灭火，使库存的金属钠遇水导致大爆炸，但是最初起火的原因为何，一直无法确认。现在这名矿工自投罗网，使案情更为复杂化。

本社驻京记者获悉，天津大爆炸原因未明，目前各政治派别，各利益团体都在利用爆炸做文章，甚至成为政治派别和利益集团肇事的借口，当局的调查也非常关注事件背后有无政治因素。

公安部刑侦专家正在对自首男子进行调查。也有消息指，这名矿工可能是有其他冤情，想博当局重视而冒名顶替。本社在北京时间18日凌晨发稿时，官方仍未公布有关消息。


a 37-years-old miner who is from SHANXI provience on 17 Aug turned himself in for tianjin blast, motivation not clear.

Well now they have a nice little swimming hole to play in...

I find it very funny how similar the wording is between this and how America phrases what it does to "protect the public".

Yet everyone laughs at China but takes Merica seriously..

found something disturbing while browsing.

---

source: Shanghaiist.com

The first rainfall to wash over Tianjin since a series of blasts struck a warehouse in the Binhai district last week has sparked a new wave of concern as an unidentified white foam has appeared on the streets. Some who made contact with it are reporting a burning sensation on their face and lips, while others are reporting a stinging sensation on their arms. Some have said they experienced an itchy sensation, according to a NetEase News report.

http://www.newslite.sg/sites/default/files/styles/w608/public/original_images/Aug2015/20150818-tianjin_0.jpg?itok=VCZwFXeR

also see

Poison Rain Feared In Tianjin As Death Toll Rumored At 1,400 (http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-08-17/poison-rain-feared-tianjin-death-toll-rumored-1400)

One Week On, China Struggles With Tianjin Blast Pollution Cleanup
2015-08-18 

http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/cleanup-08182015112842.html/china-tianjinresidents-aug182015.jpg/image

Tianjin residents demand compensation for homes damaged by explosion, Aug. 17, 2015.
Photo courtesy of Tianjin resident


Rescue teams and environmental experts struggled amid rain on Tuesday to clean up thousands of tons of water polluted by last week's massive explosions in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin, while the city mourned the 114 people known to have died in the disaster.

Tens of thousands of tons of contaminated water is believed to remain at the warehouse and container area that were ripped apart by fires and two huge explosions, while the current downpour could make decontamination still harder, official media reported.

Water tested at eight of the 40 water monitoring stations near the blast area were found to contain excessive amounts of cyanide, with some samples containing 28.4 times more than the standard, Tianjin's chief environmental protection engineer Bao Jingling was quoted as saying.

Officials have estimated that hundreds of tons of toxic sodium cyanide were stored near the blast site, and construction teams are using a cofferdam to prevent contaminated rainwater from running off the site, state news agency Xinhua reported.

There are also fears that rain might set off chemical reactions with the scattered chemicals and release toxic gases, Bao said.

A Tianjin resident surnamed Zhao told RFA she was afraid to go outside, for fear of pollution.

"Just think what could happen when the rain hits those dangerous chemicals; a lot of them are all over the ground," Zhao said. "I have shut tight the windows and I don't open the door much."

"If there is poison in the air, a face mask is no use; I saw that on social media," she said. "If you breathe it in, you can get a chronic disease."

"We're not going out now, and anyone who gets rained on comes back and takes a shower as soon as they can; that's all we are thinking about right now," Zhao said.

Unaware of risk

According to official figures, 114 people died in the disaster, while 57 remain missing after two huge explosions ripped through the Tanggu district of the port just before midnight on Aug. 12.

Memorial ceremonies marking the seventh day since the deaths of the 114 people were attended by officials in Tianjin, while the city was decked out in white mourning flowers and echoed with sirens on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, local residents are still in shock at the scale of the potential hazards to their lives and health.

"Nobody thought that they would put dangerous chemicals so close to a residential area," a resident of Tanggu told RFA on Tuesday.

"I'm pretty worried now," he said.

A resident surnamed Wang said he had no idea how hazardous the warehouse area could be.

"I didn't realize how very dangerous this was until this happened," Wang said. "There was a bomb right next to me."

He said the blast had shaken up people who might otherwise have been apathetic about the risk.

"We want to be able to supervise what the government is doing ... and we want to live in an environment that is guaranteed safe. But it's not we who decides these things," Wang said.

"We have no power to pursue them, and if we start to criticize the government, or blow the whistle on them, then they will treat us like the enemy," he said.

"All we can do is accept orders from on high."

Clampdown on reporting

The ruling Chinese Communist Party has clamped down on reporting of the disaster, ordering state-run media to stick to officially approved news stories, deleting tweets, and shuttering social media accounts deemed to be "spreading rumors" about the Tianjin explosions.

According to David Bandurski, researcher at the Hong Kong University's China Media Project, some 35 million people were watching the Twitter-like hashtag #Tianjinexplosion on Sina Weibo as the tragedy unfolded and citizens posted dramatic and often graphic images of the devastation on the ground.

"The primary objective of China’s leadership can be summed up in a single phrase: 'Do not do reports of a reflective nature,'" Bandurski wrote in an article on Medium.com.

While many Chinese reporters have risked life and limb to get closer to the story, any reporting that addresses who is responsible, why the disaster occurred, and how safety measures failed is off limits, Bandurski said.

A Tanggu resident surnamed Chen said that people were completely unaware they were living so close to such dangerous chemicals.

"What exactly went on with these explosions? Why were such dangerous goods held there?" Chen said.

"We had to run for our lives, and we escaped, but we were nearly finished," he said. "Our apartment complex and our building has collapsed."

"But for every question asked, they just say three 'don't knows'. It doesn't matter who you ask."

"This was the government's job, and it didn't do its job. They are just passing the buck, acting irresponsibly. How could this happen?"

Warehouse executives held

Currently, the official narrative appears to be focusing on the bosses at warehouse owner Ruihai Logistics and local municipal officials as mainly to blame for the disaster.

Police are holding 10 Ruihai executives, including the CEO, while the head of the national work safety watchdog Yang Dongliang has been put under internal party investigation for "severe discipline violations."

Relatives of the missing said they still haven't had any detailed news of their loved ones' fate.

"They just said they'll inform us as soon as they have news," the sister of missing man Liu Tianlong told RFA.

"We asked for a meeting but they didn't do that."

Reported by Yang Fan and Xin Lin for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Wen Yuqing for the Cantonese Service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie.

http://www.letscorp.net/lynn/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/1439871882947615_840_560-300x200.jpg

http://www.letscorp.net/lynn/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/7061c249gw1ev6npojvn4j20zk0nmdlh-300x199.jpg

photo from Chen liang

rt ‏@rosetangy  Ex-state prosecutor Shen Liangqing @sliangq detained 9 days in Hefei 4 tweeting a #TianjinBlast casualties news story

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CMt8RZuUYAEWh3c.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CMt8RYxUAAAJMJw.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CMt8RZLUcAIRUPK.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CMt8RZQUYAAP1_3.jpg

China has been the most damaged environment while becoming good economy development country in other side. Seems China has sacrificed its environment to gain profit.

I have seen the news on CNN yesterday. There is huge amount of destruction happened due to blast. There were lots of new Cars damaged. Toyota has to shut down its plant. There plant was close to the Blast site. Car Industry is going to get affected. Lets hope the best!!

The contamination effects will be seen for next few generations. What will China do when the entire country is just a wasteland? Seems they are sacrificing such a Beautiful country to make money regardless of the Effects.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CM1p19gUYAQHU99.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CM1p2J3UkAAVtcm.jpg


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CM2Ck-UUcAACtPW.jpg


9.4 kilometer away from the spot  after raining

Alarming pictures show masses of dead fish washed up four miles from site of deadly chemical blast in China that dispersed 700 tons of sodium cyanide into the air
 (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/peoplesdaily/article-3204797/Masses-dead-fish-washed-four-miles-Tianjin-blast-site.html)

http://s21.postimg.org/xkkyyqrfb/2_B85_FB6200000578_3204797_Toxic_Tests_by_the_Tian.jpg

Its a big disaster, I am really shocked with this situation there. When I was young, I hope to live in China, which it was still a beautiful country with its culture. Seems industry revolution has changed all there :-\

kneel after Disaster

https://i1.wp.com/m1.aboluowang.com/uploadfile/2015/0819/20150819102728833.png

left: china
right:  japan and south korea


https://3ttttt.wordpress.com/2015/08/19/%E5%BE%AE%E5%8D%9A%E7%B2%BE%E7%B2%B9%EF%BC%9A%E7%9C%8B%E7%81%BE%E5%90%8E%E4%B8%8B%E8%B7%AA%EF%BC%9A%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD%E3%80%81%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E3%80%81%E9%9F%A9%E5%9B%BD-%E7%BB%84%E5%9B%BE/

I think its because China government doesn't want to admit that disaster as their fault. If its about environment, I think there is no government want to take the responsibility for that.

China Jails Dissident Over Tianjin Blast Death Toll Retweet
2015-08-19 


Authorities in the eastern Chinese province of Anhui have jailed veteran activist and whistle-blower Shen Liangqing on public order charges after he retweeted a social media post about last week's devastating warehouse explosions in Tianjin, his relatives told RFA.

Former state-prosecutor-turned-whistle-blower Shen Liangqing, who wrote a book detailing abuses under the ruling Chinese Communist Party's internal disciplinary regime, was handed a nine-day administrative sentence by police in the provincial capital, Hefei.

"He went downstairs to buy groceries, and when he came back, I saw three police officers following him," Shen's son Shen Li said in an interview on Wednesday.

"He took out his cell phone and gave it to me, so they didn't confiscate it," he said. "Then they left."

He said police had told him his father was being detained on suspicion of "fabricating facts and disturbing public order."

"He called me [on Tuesday] and told me to bring him some clothes and other items to the Wuhu Road police station," Shen Li said. "When I went there, he gave me the administrative detention notice."

According to the notice, Shen Liangqing retweeted a post on a social media platform on Aug. 15, 2015 which said that at least 1,400 people had died in the Tianjin explosions, while more than 700 were still missing.

"This information was not accurate," the notice said.



Charges 'unfair'

Shen Li said the charges against his father, a former prosecutor at the Hefei municipal procuratorate, were unfair.

"I don't think it amounts to fabricating information if you are just retweeting something," Shen Li said.

"The reason the tweet was not accurate was a lack of openness and transparency on the part of the government," he added.

China's propaganda ministry has ordered the country's tightly controlled media outlets to stick to officially approved news stories, which put the death toll in Tianjin at 114.

Tweets and social media messages linked to the disaster initially gave a real-time glimpse of the two devastating explosions and their aftermath, but were later tracked down and deleted by China's Internet censors.

China's draconian Internet agency, the Cyberspace Administration, said it had suspended more than 360 social media accounts since the blasts rocked Tianjin.

Shen Li said if anyone was held responsible, it should be the original poster of the offending tweet.

"I don't think that retweeting on its own should be a crime," he said. "Rumors only emerge because the government is closed and secretive. If they were more transparent, they wouldn't circulate."

An officer who answered the phone at the Wuhu Road police station in Hefei declined to comment on Shen's case.

"I don't know about this," the officer said.



No intention to deceive

Tianjin-based lawyer Liu Jia said he didn't believe Shen had done anything wrong.

"The crucial point here is that there was no intention to deceive," Liu said. "If he retweeted it in good faith, then he shouldn't bear responsibility for it."

"It's not my responsibility to try to confirm whether other people's posts are fake or fact."

Meanwhile, investigators at the party's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) have announced a probe into "serious discipline violations" by the director of the State Administration of Work Safety Yang Dongliang, although it didn't mention any direct connection with the Tianjin blasts.

Yang, 61, worked in Tianjin for 18 years and became a vice mayor before taking office at the work safety agency in 2012.

Xie Tian, an assistant professor at the University of South Carolina at Aiken, said Yang is likely being made to act as scapegoat so the government looks as if it is pursuing those responsible for the tragedy.

He said further environmental legislation won't help, either.

"China's laws are pretty empty because they aren't implemented," Xie said. "There is no judicial independence."

"That means that all a chemical company like that needs to start operating is the agreement of one [high-ranking] person, like the mayor or the municipal party secretary," he said.

"This is a very Chinese problem, and as long as the problems of the dictatorial system aren't addressed, more laws aren't going to be of much use."



Suspicious dealings

State media on Wednesday pointed to further suspicious dealings behind the blasts at the hazardous goods storage facility owned by Ruihai Logistics.

The owners of the company, including the son of a former municipal police chief, took steps to mask the fact that they held stakes in it, the official news agency Xinhua reported.

The agency said that Dong Shexuan, 34, owned 45 percent of Ruihai through a schoolmate so as to avoid the news of his stake "leaking."

He said he had used his connections in the police and fire departments to help the company obtain the necessary safety permits and pass inspections.

Local residents now fear the effects of toxic pollutants in the city's air and water, after officials said that around 700 tons of highly poisonous sodium cyanide were found at the site.

Tianjin Ruihai International Logistics had operated without a license for nine months until June, Xinhua said.

Chinese law requires hazardous storage facilities to be located at least 1,000 meters from public buildings, major roads, and residential units, but the Ruihai warehouse violated that rule, as there were a number of public and residential facilities within 650 meters of the site, official media reported.

Reported by Yang Fan and Shi Shan for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Ka Pa and Wei Ling for the Cantonese Service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie.


http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/retweet-08192015135855.html

I watched this explosion videos in youtube. It looks so horrible.
I'm sorry to the victims of this massive explosion. :'(

I watched this on the news, I was not expecting such an explosion, If you have told to me that it was an atomic blast I would have believed you. Rest in peace.

China Holds 12, Blames Local Officials And Companies For Tianjin Blasts
2015-08-27 

http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/china-holds-12-blames-local-officials-and-companies-for-tianjin-blasts-08272015113729.html

http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/china-holds-12-blames-local-officials-and-companies-for-tianjin-blasts-08272015113729.html/china-tianjin-blast-cleanup-aug21-2015.jpg/image

Machines clean up debris from vehicles destroyed in the blasts in Tianjin, north China, Aug. 21, 2015.
Xinhua

Authorities in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin have arrested 12 people for "abuse of power" and "dereliction of duty" in connection with massive and fatal explosions at a hazardous chemicals warehouse that left at least 145 dead earlier this month.

China's ministry of public security in Beijing confirmed that police have formally arrested Yu Xuewei, chairman of Tianjin International Ruihai Logistics Co., which owns the ill-fated warehouse and the company's vice-chairman Dong Shexuan.

Zeng Fanqiang, "an employee with a safety evaluation firm suspected of illegally helping Ruihai acquire safety evaluation papers," was also named among the 12, the official Xinhua news agency quoted the ministry as saying.

All detainees are suspected of illegally storing dangerous materials, and Ruihai Logistics' general manager Zhi Feng and his deputy Shang Qingsen are under "residential surveillance," it said.

The move means a trial is now highly likely.

The ministry said it blames local government departments, including transportation management authorities, production safety regulatory agencies, and land and resources authorities, for the blasts, which devastated buildings up to three kilometers away and sent huge fireballs, followed by clouds of toxic cyanide gas belching into the air.

"Customs personnel of the Tianjin Customs District were found to have been slack and irresponsible in supervising the illegal dangerous chemical business run by Ruihai," the ministry said.

"The personnel involved are also suspected of illegally issuing customs clearing permits to the company and allowing it to carry out illegal business activities," it said.

Meanwhile, Tianjin Port had failed to respond to the potential safety risks and to the "illegal business" being carried out at Ruihai, the statement said.

China's propaganda ministry has ordered official media and news websites not to carry out any independent reporting into the Tianjin disaster, or its causes.

Some 700 tons of sodium cyanide was stored at the warehouse, which was destroyed when the blasts ripped through the area late on Aug. 12 as firefighters struggled to bring a blaze under control, leaving the surrounding area an ashen wasteland.



Transportation official investigated

Meanwhile, China's state prosecution service said it is investigating senior transportation ministry official Wang Jinwen for suspected abuse of power, as well as city transportation chief Wu Dai, and Zheng Qingyue, president of Tianjin Port (Group) Co., official media reported on Thursday.

"Wang violated the law to help Tianjin Ruihai International Logistics Co. Ltd., owner of the warehouse that was the site of the blasts and allegedly handled dangerous chemicals, pass safety evaluations and obtain approvals to handle hazardous materials," Xinhua quoted the Supreme People's Procuratorate as saying.

Eleven officials have been placed under compulsive measures, which include summons by force, bail, residential surveillance, detention and arrest, it said.

China has dispatched chemical defense troops and experts to the scene of the blasts, which also left 28 people still unaccounted for and 474 still in hospital, according to social media posts by Tianjin government departments.

China has an appalling industrial safety record, which activists say is due to close ties between businesses and corrupt government officials who turn a blind eye to infractions.

A Tianjin resident surnamed Ma said he hoped the disaster would lead to more oversight and the pursuit of corrupt officials.

"What is being investigated now is what's on the surface," Ma said.
"We don't know how far they are really getting into the details."

"They should take it all the way ... This was the product of corruption. Such a huge disaster couldn't have happened if they weren't corrupt," he said.


 http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/china-holds-12-blames-local-officials-and-companies-for-tianjin-blasts-08272015113729.html/china-wuhan-chemical-storage-warehouse-fire-aug26-2015-400.jpg/image
Smoke rises from a fire at a chemical storage warehouse in Wuhan, central China's Hubei province, Aug. 26, 2015. Credit: Local residents


Chemical factory blast in Wuhan

The arrests were announced as residents of the central city of Wuhan told RFA their neighborhood was hit by another blast at a chemical factory on Wednesday.

"A fire started in a building behind our company, and then something blew up," an employee surnamed Zhang who works at an electronics factory in the Canglongdao Industrial Development Park in Wuhan's Jiangxia district told RFA. "All of the glass in our building was shattered."

"Nobody has gone to work in the two buildings next door today," Zhang added.

A Jiangxia resident surnamed Zheng called on the authorities to investigate following reports that four people died and one person was left critically injured.

"I think this is up to the government, and that oversight is definitely needed," Zheng said. "It should be within the government's power to sort out problems like this."

An official who answered the phone at the Jiangxia district government offices didn't deny the incident had taken place.

"I'm not at the scene, so I don't know what is happening there," the official said. "You should go to the scene and find out; we don't give interviews on the phone."

An employee who answered the phone at the Shenzhen Eagle Industrial Co., which owns the building where the fire broke out, declined to comment.

"Sorry, we don't know about that here," the employee said.

Reported by Yang Fan for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Wong Lok-to and Wen Yuqing for the Cantonese Service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie.

I saw it last week on youtube it maginificent yet horrible at the time as im not sure what was happening to the people near the explotion i heard there are many casualties im not sure how many. for what i can see on the photo posted. they`ve been hit by a super typhoon like yolanda.