The initial blast triggered secondary explosions, causing local tremors, Xinhua said. Hundreds of others were taken to hospital.
Advertisement
The official China Daily said the explosion happened at a warehouse for unsafe materials.
Residents of Tianjin in northeastern China left their homes in fear of an natural disaster following the explosion, according to Xinhua.
The National quake Bureau reported that the energy released in the first of the blasts was equivalent to 2.7 tonnes of TNT, and the second 19 tonnes. “Only once I was outside did I realize it was an explosion”.
It is not immediately clear whether anyone was killed.
Eye witnessed video shows a fireball briefly lighting up the early morning sky over surrounding skyscrapers before another blast sends shocked spectators almost falling to the floor.
Citing a local hospital, Xinhua said more than 50 people had been wounded, mainly by broken glass and stones, and some were seriously hurt. Photos circulating online showed patients in bandages and with cuts.
The latest state media reports say there were two explosions caused by a fire that began at a container terminal at the Tianjin port, which handles the transport of hazardous goods. It says it handles 1 million tons of cargo annually.
Advertisement
Tianjin is about 120 kilometers (75 miles) east of Beijing on the Bohai Sea and is one of the country’s major ports.
