Two massive explosions caused by flammable goods ripped through an industrial area in the northeast Chinese port city of Tianjin late on Wednesday, August 12, killing 17 people and injuring around 400, official Chinese media reported. President Xi Jinping demanded that authorities quickly extinguish the fire caused by the blasts and make full effort to rescue and treat the injured and ensure the safety of people and their property, China Central Television (CCTV) said on its official microblog. Vehicles are seen burning after blasts at Binhai new district in Tianjin municipality | Source: Reuters

Pictures posted on Chinese media websites showed a cloud of dust towering above buildings near the scene. Residents and workers, some bleeding, could be seen fleeing.

Canadian teacher Monica Andrews told the BBC that she awoke in panic after what she thought was an earthquake.

"I ... looked out the window and the sky was red ... I just watched a second explosion go off and (it was) just pure chaos, everyone leaving their apartment buildings thinking it's an earthquake, cars trying to leave the complex and ... it was crazy the amount of light that this explosion and fire lit up," she said.

Xinhua said the explosions had ripped through a warehouse storing "dangerous goods". The first explosion was equivalent to 3 tonnes of TNT and the second blast 21 tonnes of TNT, it said.

Residents in nearby areas said the blasts had shattered windows in buildings, it reported.
Citing a local hospital, Xinhua said people had been hurt by broken glass and stones and some were seriously wounded. CCTV said on its website about 100 fire trucks had been sent to the scene. Tianjin is home to around 15 million people, making it one of the biggest cities in China. It is also home to one of the country's biggest ports.

Firefighting efforts at China's warehouse explosion site have been suspended due to lack of clarity about the contents and amount of the "dangerous goods" in the warehouse, according to a local government statement on Thursday.

Industrial accidents are not uncommon in China following three decades of breakneck economic growth. A blast at an auto parts factory in eastern China killed 75 people a year ago when a room filled with metal dust exploded.

Residents of the city were in shock | Source: Reuters