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Death toll rises to 56 in Tianjin blasts
By Xinhua – Global Times Source:Global Times Published: 2015-8-15 0:33:01
The death toll from Wednesday night's Tianjin port blasts has risen to 56, including 21 firemen, local authorities said Friday, adding that the air quality around the blasts site has not reached alarming levels as many have feared.
At a press conference in Tianjin, the rescue headquarters said 721 others were hospitalized, including 25 critically wounded and 33 in serious condition.
A total of 44 people were rescued, said Zhou Tian, head of the city's fire department, after the two blasts happened at about 11:30 pm Wednesday following a fire in a warehouse for hazardous chemicals.
A firefighter, Zhou Ti, found Friday morning from the debris only 20 meters from the epicenter of the blasts, miraculously survived. The 19-year-old man, with chest injuries and cuts elsewhere, is in stable condition, doctors said late Friday.
Initial estimates say the blasts affected 17,000 households, 1,700 enterprises and 675 commercial stores, said Zhang Ruigang, vice head of Tianjin Binhai New Area.
Military specialists in nuclear and biochemical materials brought monitoring equipment to the site to test hazardous gas.
Wang Dongsheng, head of the institute of nuclear, biological and chemical protection under the People's Liberation Army Beijing Military Area Command team, said that from Thursday to Friday, hydrogen sulfide and ammonia levels had dropped significantly. As the area they are monitoring is at the center of the blast, he assured the public the environment was safe.
According to the Ministry of Environmental Protection, as harmful cyanide compounds were found in drains near the blasts site, workers have sealed off two outlets for rainwater and wastewater so as to prevent the spread of contamination.
The country will launch a nationwide inspection program of businesses working with dangerous chemicals and explosives after the explosions in Tianjin, the State Council said on Friday.
In an emergency notice, the State Council Work Safety Commission said Tianjin's deadly blasts revealed a lack of safety awareness among businesses and lax implementation of safety regulations.
The city has opened 12 schools and three apartment buildings to accommodate 6,300 homeless residents, Zhang said.
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At a press conference in Tianjin, the rescue headquarters said 721 others were hospitalized, including 25 critically wounded and 33 in serious condition.
A total of 44 people were rescued, said Zhou Tian, head of the city's fire department, after the two blasts happened at about 11:30 pm Wednesday following a fire in a warehouse for hazardous chemicals.
A firefighter, Zhou Ti, found Friday morning from the debris only 20 meters from the epicenter of the blasts, miraculously survived. The 19-year-old man, with chest injuries and cuts elsewhere, is in stable condition, doctors said late Friday.
Initial estimates say the blasts affected 17,000 households, 1,700 enterprises and 675 commercial stores, said Zhang Ruigang, vice head of Tianjin Binhai New Area.
Military specialists in nuclear and biochemical materials brought monitoring equipment to the site to test hazardous gas.
Wang Dongsheng, head of the institute of nuclear, biological and chemical protection under the People's Liberation Army Beijing Military Area Command team, said that from Thursday to Friday, hydrogen sulfide and ammonia levels had dropped significantly. As the area they are monitoring is at the center of the blast, he assured the public the environment was safe.
According to the Ministry of Environmental Protection, as harmful cyanide compounds were found in drains near the blasts site, workers have sealed off two outlets for rainwater and wastewater so as to prevent the spread of contamination.
The country will launch a nationwide inspection program of businesses working with dangerous chemicals and explosives after the explosions in Tianjin, the State Council said on Friday.
In an emergency notice, the State Council Work Safety Commission said Tianjin's deadly blasts revealed a lack of safety awareness among businesses and lax implementation of safety regulations.
The city has opened 12 schools and three apartment buildings to accommodate 6,300 homeless residents, Zhang said.
Read more in Special Coverage:
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