The dead fish were found only a few miles from the scene of the deadly explosions that rocked the Chinese city last Wednesday. More than 121 people were killed in that incident, also another 56 remain unaccounted. The explosions began inside a warehouse that was storing at least 2,500 tons of hazardous chemicals, including sodium cyanide, ammonium nitrate, and potassium nitrate. Cyanide is a potentially deadly chemical that is widely used in manufacturing but can be toxic even in small quantities. In order to presumably assuage the public’s fear that the chemical had contaminated the land and water in the city, Chinese authorities placed rabbits, chickens, and pigeons in brightly colored cages at the blast site. “There has to be a link between the dead fish and the blast“. In addition, 3,000 cars have been destroyed.
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Dead fish are seen on the banks of Haihe river in Tianjin.
How is the clean up progressing? No information was provided detailing what led to the fires, but disaster response work continued on Friday after the flare-ups.
New fires have repeatedly broken out on the site, which is scattered with smouldering chemicals and flammable substances, the official Xinhua news agency said on Friday (local time).
Beijing has also suspended operations at firms that make or deal in highly toxic chemicals and explosives from August 17 to Sept 6 in preparation for a military parade and athletics event, Xinhua said.
Cyanide levels in samples from rivers and offshore were below toxic levels. Warning of widespread “negligence and an alarming lack of enforcement of the regulations”, Wu said “Tianjin must be a wake-up call for the authorities” to ensure that safety rules are implemented, and residents informed of potential risks close to their homes.
News emerged a couple of days after the massive explosion in Tianjin, China last week that hundreds of tons of industrial sodium cyanide were stored at the site of the blast and presumably dispersed in the explosion.
Some of the executives of Rui Hai worldwide Logistics Co. – including stakeholders Dong Shexuan and Yu Xuewei – are under police detention.
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The report reappeared on Tianjin Zhongbin Haisheng Health and Safety Evaluation and Monitoring Company’s (Zhongbin Haisheng) website, Xinhua said on Saturday.
