Chinese state-run media on Monday lambasted officials in the port city of Tianjin for a lack of transparency over the massive explosions at an industrial site that killed at least 112 and devastated a vast area. The number of people killed had previously been put at 85.
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Relatives of the missing fire-fighters and people from a nearby residential area have staged protests at a hotel, where official news conferences are being held.
The warehouse was storing hundreds of tonnes of sodium cyanide, far more than legally allowed. Volunteers told people to wear long-sleeved clothes and masks and to leave in an orderly fashion, the news agency said. The streets appeared calm. “We’ve been here for three days, and we’ve not had one piece of information”, he said.
Tianjin’s Deputy Mayor He Shushan reportedly confirmed late Sunday that about 700 tons of sodium cyanide stored at the warehouse blew up. Bao said the cyanide was yet to be detected in water samples.
“We can’t go back to our home”, said Wen Jing, who said she fled her 33rd-floor apartment Wednesday night with her sister and parents, adding their residence was “totally” damaged.
“I can responsibly say that there will be no secondary damage to the people”, he said Sunday, a day after the government evacuated a school near the blast site when possible wind changes raised concerns of exposure.
The Tianjin Maritime Safety Administration’s traffic control department said in a statement: “At present, ships apart from those carrying hazardous goods or bunker oil are entering and exiting Tianjin Port’s north section normally”. A fresh blaze ignited cars in a parking lot next to the blast site. The force of the blast and heat of the fire make it unlikely that the bodies of the dead would remain intact.
Meanwhile, the local media has been asking local authorities about information on the company that owns the warehouse, Tianjin Dongjiang Port Ruihai worldwide Logistics.
A retired environmental official earlier told reporters that air pollution posed no risk.
Authorities have repeatedly sought to reassure the public, insisting that despite the presence of some pollutants at levels above normal standards, the air in Tianjin remains safe to breathe.
About 40 minutes after the first reports of a fire, a sudden set of explosions – one equivalent to 21 tons of TNT – all but obliterated Zhou’s squad.
At the same time that the city is scrambling to recover its loved ones and clean up hazardous chemicals, the insurance news shows that property and cargo firms are rapidly making their claims.
“We are monitoring it closely”, Bao Jingling, chief engineer for the Tianjin Environmental Protection Bureau, said regarding the weather forecast.
Media have said such firefighters in China, often only on two-year contracts, lack training as new recruits.
One shipbroker said he had not heard of any problems with oil operations at the port on Monday.
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Emotional family members of missing fire fighters – 85 of the 95 people missing – also protested, marching to district government offices where they scuffled with police before being dispersed.
