China Explosion: 44 Killed, 400 Injured in Tianjin Port City
Two explosions tore through the port city of Tianjin in China, killing 44 and injuring hundreds on Wednesday night.
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At least 44 people were killed and 400 injured when two huge explosions tore through an industrial area, where toxic chemicals and gas were stored in the northeast Chinese port city of Tianjin, state media said on Thursday.
The blast was captured by space satellites and caused explosions in the surrounding areas kilometers away.
Internet videos showed fireballs shooting into the sky and the U.S. Geological Survey registered the blasts late on Wednesday as seismic events.
“I was sleeping when our windows and doors suddenly shook as we heard explosions outside. I first thought it was an earthquake,” said Guan Xiang who lives 7 km (4 miles) from the site of explosion.
Guan, 24, said he saw flames and a mushroom cloud in the sky, as he and other residents scrambled to get out of the building.
China Central Television (CCTV) said at least 17 people were killed, including nine firefighters, although casualty numbers were confused among state media outlets.
The official People’s Daily, citing reports, said on its microblog that 11 firefighters had been killed.
The state-run Beijing News cited Tianjin fire authorities had lost contact with 36 firefighters, and another 33 were critical among the hundreds of people being treated in nearby hospitals.
President Xi Jinping demanded that authorities “make full effort to rescue and treat the injured and ensure the safety of people and their property”.
Xi said in a statement carried by official media that those responsible should be “severely handled”.