Update, August 14, 2015, 4:38 p.m. EST: Reports say 700 tons of cyanide was stored at the Rui Hai warehouse where the fire began. The death toll has climbed to at least 56 deaths.
Update, August 13, 2015, 8:00 a.m. EST: At least 50 deaths and more than 700 people wounded have been confirmed.
A large series of explosions erupted in the city of Tianjin, China, one of the country’s largest industrial and shipping centers, around 11:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday. Initial reports from state-run media indicate the blast was accidental and caused by “explosive material in a container.”
Images and footage of the explosions have been posted on social media and shared below:
Roughly 90 miles from Beijing, Tianjin is the fourth largest city in China and has a population of over 7 million people. One state-run media estimated 300 to 400 people have been hospitalized.
#Breaking: Massive explosion rocks N China’s #Tianjin, cause & casualties unclear yet (web sources) @BreakingNews pic.twitter.com/GOG8Q7OWew
— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) August 12, 2015
#Breaking: Explosion happened in E China’s Tianjin City Wed. Huge mushroom cloud seen. Quake felt 10 km away. pic.twitter.com/PkgzFb8kyv
— People’s Daily,China (@PDChina) August 12, 2015
This is a breaking news post. We will update as news develops.
