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Hundreds injured after huge explosion in Chinese port city of Tianjin Explosion in Chinese city of Tianjin kills at least seven and injures hundreds
(about 1 hour later)
Hundreds of people have been injured by a massive explosion at an industrial port in Tianjin in north-east China, caused by a shipment of explosives that went up in flames. Hundreds of people have been injured and at least seven killed after a series of devastating blasts sent a fireball hundreds of metres into the air at an industrial port in northern China.
The explosion happened just before midnight local time (5.00pm GMT), but has caused secondary explosions and fires in the surrounding area, Chinese state television reported on their online microblogging site. The Xinhua news agency said a deafening bang was heard as flames lit up the sky, sending dust dozens of metres into the air. A shipment of “dangerous goods” in a warehouse went up in flames shortly before midnight local time (5.00pm GMT), state media reported, causing explosions so strong they shook homes on the other side of the city and sent flaming debris arching over nearby high rise buildings.
Three or four hundred people arrived at the Tianjin harbour hospital after at least two devastating blasts, the Beijing News reported, quoting an unnamed medic who works there. Some were brought in ambulances but many arrived on their own, after emergency numbers were overwhelmed with calls. Hundreds of injured people crowded into hospitals, arriving on foot and in their cars after emergency services were overwhelmed.
An employee of another hospital also said the emergency department was full, and staff are trying to contact all their doctors, the paper reported. “When the first explosion happened, it felt like a earthquake,” said Chen Bingzhi, who lives about 4 km from the explosion site. “The whole building was shaking. I live on the fifth floor and all the windows are broken.”
“The hospital cannot count how many patients we have received – there are too many of them and many of them have burn injuries,” said one doctor at another hospital, who had been called back from a conference in Beijing to treat the injured. She heard screaming, then ran outside after the second blast hit without even stopping to lock her front door. Hundreds of people were milling around, many covered in blood. “Many cars were rushing past us and through their windows I could see injured people sitting or lying inside,” she told the Guardian.
Six firefighting teams had been sent to battle the blaze, and had lost contact with two people fighting the fire. Six others were being treated for minor injuries, Chinese state TV reported. Three or four hundred people arrived at the Tianjin harbour hospital after at least two devastating blasts, the Beijing News reported, quoting an unnamed medic who works there. Many were also injured by flying glass, and one CCTV video apparently showed an entire glass door being blown in by the force of the explosion.
Doctors were called in from leave, and hundreds of people waited to donate blood to the injured, the Beijing news reported.
“The hospital cannot count how many patients we have received – there are too many of them and many of them have burn injuries,” said a doctor at another hospital, who had been called back from a conference in Beijing to treat the injured.
Firefighting teams sent to battle the blaze had lost contact with at least two people fighting the fire. Six others were being treated for minor injuries, Chinese state TV reported.
The explosion happened just before midnight, but triggered secondary explosions and fires in the surrounding area, state television reported on microblogging site Weibo.
Two explosions within 30 seconds were so strong that they registered with a nearby earthquake monitoring centre, the official People’s Daily reported on Twitter.
The first blast was equal in strength to the detonation of three tons of TNT, while the second was the equivalent of 21 tons of the explosive, the China Earthquake Networks Centre said on Weibo.
Videos posted on social media showed a pillar of flame that dwarfed nearby high-rise buildings, and shook homes several miles away.Videos posted on social media showed a pillar of flame that dwarfed nearby high-rise buildings, and shook homes several miles away.
Two explosions within 30 seconds were so strong that they registered with a nearby earthquake monitoring centre, the official People’s Daily reported on twitter.
The blasts ripped offices and homes apart, and sent chunks of masonry flying through the air, pictures showed. One car was crushed by the debris, another was half buried in a crater in the road.The blasts ripped offices and homes apart, and sent chunks of masonry flying through the air, pictures showed. One car was crushed by the debris, another was half buried in a crater in the road.
#Tianjin: Hospital has received 300-400 injuries. 2 fire fighter lost contact, 6 injured. 38 fire engines on scene. pic.twitter.com/ZN11gpdra3#Tianjin: Hospital has received 300-400 injuries. 2 fire fighter lost contact, 6 injured. 38 fire engines on scene. pic.twitter.com/ZN11gpdra3
Dazed and bloodied victims ran from the flames, one covered almost head to foot in blood, wearing only his underwear, pictures showed. Another carried a child wrapped in a blanket, another with a stool over his head as a shield from falling debris.Dazed and bloodied victims ran from the flames, one covered almost head to foot in blood, wearing only his underwear, pictures showed. Another carried a child wrapped in a blanket, another with a stool over his head as a shield from falling debris.
It was not immediately clear how close to residential areas the centre of the explosion was, or how wide the radius of damage, however.It was not immediately clear how close to residential areas the centre of the explosion was, or how wide the radius of damage, however.
Tianjin, a city of 7.5 million people, is a base for refining and petrochemical industries.Tianjin, a city of 7.5 million people, is a base for refining and petrochemical industries.
Additional research by Luna Lin