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Chinese military teams search for clues to blast

Valvur, AndyAugust 14, 2015

A Chinese military team searched Friday for clues to the cause of two massive explosions in the Chinese city of Tianjin. Local residents expressed concerns about the type of chemicals at the site.

https://p.dw.com/p/1GFLp
Arbeiter in Schutzanzügen auf dem verwüsteten Hafengelände von Tianjin
Image: picture-alliance/Photoshot/Shen Bohan

Chinese military nuclear and chemical experts began looking for clues to identify the cause of the blasts at a warehouse used to store toxic chemicals and gas.

According to a report by environmental inspectors published in 2014, the warehouse was designed to store dangerous and toxic chemicals. At the time of the blast, it was storing mainly ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate and calcium carbide.

Several thousand residents were moved to nearby schools after apartment buildings and homes were damaged, mostly by shockwaves from the explosions.

China's official Xinhua news agency identified the owner of the warehouse as Tianjin Dongjiang Port Ruihai International Logistics. According to the state-backed China Daily newspaper, the manager had been detained.

Infografik Fünf von den schlimmsten Industrie-Katastrophen Chinas Englisch

The blasts on Wednesday night killed at least 50 people, including a dozen fire fighters, state media said. About 700 people were injured, 71 seriously.

av/kms (Reuters, AFP)

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