The company’s website says these goods include compressed gas, flammable liquid and toxic chemicals – some of which become highly explosive when mixed with water.
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At least 36 firefighters were initially reported missing by the state news agency, Xinhua.
A fire department chief whose team found Zhou, who appeared visibly moved, told state television that the firefighter had a strong will to survive.
A dozen firefighters are thought to have been amongst those killed in the two separate blasts, which occurred around 30 seconds apart. “My home destroyed”, she said.
A damaged vehicle is seen after the explosion.
Tianjin Environmental Protection Bureau head Wen Wuru said that there had been no reports of toxic fumes from air monitoring stations, but that water samples were still being examined.
But they became concerned when the first explosion took place and the shockwave shook the building.
Authorities and businesses continued to assess the enormous damage through Friday, with many Japanese automobile manufacturers reporting severe losses to their premises and inventory. The company has not been notified of any deaths of its employees, he said.
Cargo is stored in a warehouse for no more than 40 days before being transferred elsewhere, he said, adding that the blast site had been redesigned to store hazardous chemicals. Shipping containers were left buckled, bent and toppled on to each other like toy bricks.
Oil tanker arrivals and departures were also disrupted.
Also, officials said about 70 of the injured remain in critical condition. The state-backed China Daily newspaper said its manager had been detained.
Gao said identifying the substances in the warehouse was made harder by significant differences between the accounts held by the company, and the customs records.
There is no word yet on what caused the disaster, but calls for accountability go all the way up to China’s president Xi Jinping, who has demanded severe punishment.
“We are not sure what chemicals they were”, said Gao Huaiyou, deputy director of work safety for the port city of Tianjin.
Industrial accidents are not uncommon in China following three decades of breakneck economic growth.
“I am confident that rescue operations will be conducted effectively under your guidance and leadership, and the situation will be quickly brought under control”, he said.
The blasts, so large that they were seen by satellites in space, sent shockwaves through apartment blocks kilometers away in the port city of 15 million people.
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Internet videos had showed fireballs shooting into the sky.
