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Explosions at a container terminal in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin killed at least 17 people late Wednesday, with the nation’s earthquake center saying the largest of the blasts equaled a 2.9-magnitude temblor.
Of the 283 people admitted to hospitals so far, 32 are seriously injured, the city of Tianjin said in a statement on its official microblog. The Xinhua News Agency reported earlier that many of those hurt were being treated at nearby Taida Hospital after being injured by broken glass and stones. The city’s fire department got a call at 10:50 p.m. local time Wednesday about a fire in stacked hazardous chemicals in the Rui Hai International Logistics facility, the Ministry of Public Security’s fire section said on its microblog. The explosion happened at about 11:30 p.m. Two firemen are missing and four are injured, the public security ministry said.
The China Earthquake Networks Center said on its microblog it recorded two explosions, with the larger blast the equivalent of a 2.9 magnitude quake or 21 tons of TNT. Fires caused by the explosions were still burning this morning, China Central Television reported at 7:30 AM local time Thursday.
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for all-out efforts to help those injured and investigations of the cause and those responsible for the explosions. The city of Tianjin is home to about 15.2 million people. Its center is about 125 kilometers (78 miles) southeast of Beijing.
Burnt Buildings
Pictures published by Chinese media online show buildings near the epicenter of the blasts with windows blown out and smoldering with smoke while the frames of cars burnt black litter the streets in front of them. Local residents said windows and fish tanks were shattered, Xinhua reported. Flames lit the sky and dust was blown “dozens of meters” into the air, it said. A strong odor lingered as of 2:28 a.m. Thursday local time, according to Xinhua.
U.S. agricultural-machinery maker Deere Co. received reports of damage to its Tianjin works from the blast, which broke windows in the facility’s east campus, company spokesman Ken Golden said in an e-mail. The plant was evacuated and Deere doesn’t believe any workers were injured, Golden said.
Two phone calls each to the Tianjin city government, Taida Hospital, Tianjin Port Hospital and Rui Hai International Logistics weren’t answered.
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