21 firefighters among 56 victims of massive explosions in Tianjin
Print Edition
RESCUERS pulled out a firefighter who was trapped for 32 hours after responding to the fire and huge explosions in the port city of Tianjin as authorities dealt with a fire still smoldering amid potentially dangerous chemicals.
A rapid succession of explosions late on Wednesday —one equal to 21 tons of TNT — killed at least 56 people, injured more than 720 and left 18 firefighters missing, officials said.
The blasts were sparked by a fire at what authorities said were shipping containers containing hazardous material at a warehouse in the Binhai New Area, and they struck a mostly industrial zone late at night, otherwise the death toll could have been much higher.
The toll included at least 21 firefighters among the more than 1,000 sent to the disaster. Firefighters initially responded to a fire at the warehouse and many of them were apparently killed by a series of explosions triggered 40 minutes after the fire was reported.
“Reinforcements had just arrived on the scene and were just getting to work when the explosions occurred and therefore there was no chance to escape, and that’s why the casualties were so severe,” Tianjin Fire Department head Zhou Tian said at a news conference yesterday. “We’re now doing all we can to rescue the missing.”
The firefighter who was pulled from the zone at about dawn yesterday and taken to a hospital was just 19 years old. He was being treated for face, chest and foot injuries, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
Local officials have been hard-pressed to explain why authorities permitted hazardous goods warehouses so close to residential complexes and critical infrastructure.
Hazardous chemical warehouses must be at least 1,000 meters from public buildings, highways, railways and industrial enterprises under regulations enacted by China’s State Administration of Work Safety in 2001.
But Google Earth shows that Ruihai’s two hazmat warehouses are less than 500 meters from the S11 Haibin Expressway, and within 500 meters of a 104,438-square meter apartment complex built by China Vanke Co, one of China’s largest developers.
Vanke said it acquired the land before Ruihai Logistics began loading toxic substances in its warehouses one block away. “The land was near normal logistics warehouses when we acquired it in April 2010,” the company said in statement. “We were not aware they were later transformed into warehouses for hazardous material.”
Authorities have not said what caused the explosions, saying only that they originated at the warehouse owned by Ruihai International Logistics. Its website says the company is authorized to handle chemicals ranging from flammable gases and liquids, including compressed natural gas and ethyl acetate, to chemicals that explode on contact with water, including sodium cyanide and calcium carbide.
Officials so far have confirmed that calcium carbide, potassium nitrate and sodium nitrate were at the warehouse.
Zhou said further firefighting efforts must go slowly because of the potentially complex mix of chemicals.
“Many types of different materials with different characteristics are mixed together and could at any time result in a chemical reaction or explosion,” Zhou said.
At one point early yesterday evening, a small explosion could be seen inside the cordoned-off zone, in what may have been a controlled blast by firefighters.
In an interview with the Shanghai-based The Paper, a fire official at the Ministry of Public Security, Lei Jinde, was quoted as confirming that the first wave of firefighters used water to cool down areas on fire.
Asked whether they knew there was calcium carbide at the warehouse, he said yes and that firefighters would not have sprayed water on the substance.
Asked whether the initial firefighter response could have sparked the second blast, Lei replied: “No. The response procedure must have been scientific.”
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
