Investigation continues into Chinese port blast

  • 14/08/2015
(Reuters)
(Reuters)

Investigators in China are monitoring the air quality in Tianjin following the two explosions yesterday that killed at least 50 people.

It's still not clear what caused the explosions in the port city, just a 110km from Beijing.

It feels almost apocalyptic. Once a busy industrial area in the Chinese city of Tianjin, one of the world's major ports is now a mess of steel shipping containers all strewn and crumpled.

It's a vast scene of total destruction caused by a series of explosions and a fireball so big it could be seen from space.

The impact was so strong, it set off earthquake recording equipment 160km away.

Across the city, terrified residents caught the repeated blasts on their mobile phones, and today at the centre of the blast zone firefighters were still battling to put out the flames.

Twelve of their colleagues are among the dozens of people killed; the factories, warehouses and cars now blackened ruins.

Hospitals are struggling to cope with the hundreds of people wounded.

With thousands forced from their damaged homes, temporary accommodation has been set up in a school.

A drive along the motorway reveals the trail of destruction left behind and it's still not known what caused the explosions.

But the warehouse stored hazardous chemicals and gas, so specialist teams have been sent in to deal with any toxic leaks.

It will clearly take a long time for this city to fully recover, both economically and emotionally.

ITV