Huge explosion rocks Tianjin city in Northeast China

The port of Tianjin is operating as normal despite two massive explosions ripping through a nearby industrial area overnight, an official has said.

A video uploaded by Weibo Chinese social netowork showed alarming images of injured people walking around apparently disoriented, after the explosion.

Xinhua reported the head of a nearby hospital as saying that around 50 people had been wounded, mostly by broken glass or stones, with some in a serious condition. Four firefighters were injured and two more have lost contact, the ministry said.

It is still unclear exactly what buildings and how many people were affected by the explosion.

There are is no further information about the exact number of victims or the causes of the blast. Initial speculation suggested the cause was gas or oil-related, possibly connected to the liquid natural gas (LNG) terminal in Tianjin.

Firefighters were dispatched immediately to the scene, according to the Tianjin Public Security Bureau. Ltd, “which handles the transport of hazardous goods”. The site of the explosion was in a newly developed area, away from the densely populated center of the city, according to CNN.

The explosions reportedly began at around 11:30pm local time in the Binhai district. A video of the blasts is available here.

The Diplomat will continue updating this breaking story as new information becomes available.