Chinese Officials Warn Of Toxic Spread Following Chemical Warehouse Explosions

Authorities pulled out one survivor from a shipping container today, state media reported.

Officials also said constant monitoring of air and water quality was being undertaken in the area around the blast site.

Leggett said Chinese authorities – unlike their U.S. counterparts – may have lacked thorough documentation of the chemicals moving through the country’s transit facilities, and that the detection of sodium cyanide in a nearby sewer could be concerning. Shortly after, he and his family rushed out into the open and smelled the scorched air, he said, as pieces of glass and other debris began raining from the sky.

The story of one Heilongjiang firefighter is particularly heartbreaking.

Several of the dead are reportedly firefighters, and rescue operations have been temporarily suspended while chemical teams scan the area for harmful materials, Xinhua added. We couldn’t contact him’.

Yang Jie’s firefighter son was also among the early arrivals at the blast site, and has not answered his phone since. “He’s just turned 18”.

The death call has risen to 85 people, including 21 firefighters.

Tianjin Fire Department head Zhou Tian said at a news conference Friday that the explosions occurred just as reinforcements had arrived on the scene and were getting to work.

“Nobody has told us anything, we’re in the dark, there is no news at all”, screamed one middle-aged woman, as she was dragged away by security personnel.

Evergreen said that since the authorities of the Tianjin port have resumed terminal operations from 1 p.m. Friday to allow cargo loading and unloading, Kingtrans has reached a consensus with its counterparts in the port area to assist the company in its logistics operations in a bid to fulfill its obligations to its customers. “I assure my prayers for those who lost their lives and for all those persons tried by this disaster”, he said Saturday in remarks to thousands of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

It is unclear what caused the second round of explosions Saturday.

Francis made the remarks despite a tense relationship between Beijing and the Vatican.