Several hundreds of tonnes of highly poisonous cyanide were being stored at the warehouse devastated by two giant explosions in the Chinese port of Tianjin earlier this week, a senior military officer said Sunday.
According to earlier reports, 700 tonnes of sodium cyanide had been stored at the warehouse, an amount which is 70 times what is permitted.
The official government confirmation of the presence of cyanide at the site of the blasts came as then number of casualties continues to spiral, with 112 confirmed dead on Sunday morning.
Disaster: Several hundred tonnes of cyanide were kept at the warehouse devastated by giant explosions in Tianjin, China on Wednesday
The disaster has raised fears of toxic contamination and residents and victims' families hit out at authorities for what they said was an information blackout, as the Chinese government suspended or shut down dozens of websites for spreading 'rumours'.
Nearly 100 people remain missing, including 85 firefighters, though officials cautioned that some of them could be among the 88 unidentified corpses so far found.
More than 700 people have also been hospitalised as a result of Wednesday's blasts - which triggered a huge fireball and a blaze that emergency workers have struggled to put out since then, with fresh explosions on Saturday.Shi Luze, chief of the general staff of the Beijing military region, told a news conference that cyanide had been identified at two locations in the blast zone. 'The volume was about several hundreds of tonnes according to preliminary estimates,' he said.
Officials have called in team of 217 chemical and nuclear experts as well as professionals from producers of the material - exposure to which the US Centers for Disease Control says can be 'rapidly fatal' - to help handle it, and the neutralising agent hydrogen peroxide has been used.
What remains: Rescuers work at the explosion site, where so far, a total of 112 bodies have been found, and 95 people remain missing
The death toll continues to rise in the wake of Wednesday's blast as the Chinese government try to silence critics online
Censorship: In a move to limit criticism of the handling of the aftermath, a total of 50 websites shut down or suspended for 'creating panic by publishing unverified information or letting users spread groundless rumours',
A military team of 217 chemical and nuclear experts is at the scene as earlier reports said 700 tonnes of sodium cyanide were at the site
Disaster zone: Hundreds of damaged cars and buildings near the explosion site in Tianjin, China on Sunday
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.
In a move to limit criticism of the handling of the aftermath, a total of 50 websites shut down or suspended for 'creating panic by publishing unverified information or letting users spread groundless rumours', according to the Cyberspace Administration of China.
Critical posts on social media have also been blocked, and more than 360 social media accounts have been punished.
One poster on microblogging platform Sina Weibo wrote: 'Why is it 'rumours' are flying everywhere every time there is a disaster? Are they really rumours?
'The government is lying... You have lied to the people too much and made yourself untrustworthy.'
Another poster added: 'No freedom of speech. Words are blocked in various ways.'
Chinese authorities ordered the immediate evacuation of all residents within a two-mile radius of the epicentre of the facility - now reduced to a giant crater - as it was revealed that deadly sodium cyanide was present at the site.
Shocking aerial pictures taken above the site of the colossal Tianjin explosion reveal the true extent of the devastation wreaked by the chemical blast
Chinese authorities ordered the immediate evacuation of all residents of within a two-mile radius flattened industrial zone in the north east of the country yesterday
Police confirmed the presence of the sodium cyanide, which is fatal when ingested or inhaled, was 'roughly east of the blast site'
Fatal: Chinese authorities confirmed that deadly sodium cyanide was present at the blast site. Pictured: soldiers of the National Nuclear Biochemical Emergency rescue team take debris samples near the core area of the explosion site in Tianjin
These included those who had taken refuge in a school near the site of the explosions after a change in wind direction prompted fears that toxic chemical particles could be blown inland.
Police confirmed the presence of the chemical, which is fatal when ingested or inhaled, was 'roughly east of the blast site' in an industrial zone in the northeastern port city of Tianjin - amid contamination fears from blasts and fires that continue to rage.
But they did not say how much had been found or how great a risk it posed, according to the state-run Beijing News.
No cyanide had been found in the ocean surrounding the port, said the State Oceanic Administration of China in a post on its official website.
But at an afternoon news conference, officials declined to discuss pollution concerns, referring reporters to other departments.
The evacuation came as a fire broke out again at the site of the blasts at a warehouse specially designed to store dangerous chemicals, the official Xinhua news agency said.
Damage: An aerial shot shows a massive hole at the core area of explosion site after Wednesday's warehouse fire that left 85 people dead
Break: Chinese firefighters rest as they wait to be deployed near the site of an explosion in northeastern China's Tianjin municipality
Checks: 70 specialised anti-chemical soldiers entered the core area of the blasts site this morning to monitor chemical contamination
Rescue mission: With the death toll expected to rise, soldiers donned gas masks as they prepared to search for those missing
Deadly: Chinese police confirmed for the first time today that hat deadly sodium cyanide was present at the site of the Tianjan blasts
Saved: A 50-year-old man was rescued 50 metres away from the blast zone today and was in a stable condition after surviving three days in a shipping container
Recovering: An excavator works amid masses of destroyed containers at the explosion site in the aftermath of the huge explosion
Contamination fears: A two-mile zone has been evacuated prompted by the threat of 'toxic substances' spreading. Pictured: smoke rises as damaged vehicles are seen burning near the site of Wednesday's explosions
Missing: At least 85 people were killed with the death toll set to rise. Pictured: firefighters wearing gas masks search the blast site today
More: Damaged cars exploded and triggered new blasts after the fire in Tianjin Warehouse fire left 721 others people in hospital
Bleak: Authorities are warning the death tolls, which includes at least 21 firefighters, looks set to rise further following the disaster. Pictured: Firefighters work at the site after the massive explosion
Help: A man eats in a tent set up at a temporary shelter for people affected the explosions, on the playground of a primary school at Binhai new district in Tianjin
The streets appeared calm as evacuees were advised to wear long trousers and face masks as they 'evacuated in an orderly fashion', according to a post on the official microblog of the Tianjin branch of the National Health and Family Planning Commission of China
But there were emotional scenes as families of missing firefighters demanded answers about their loves ones at a press conference today, while officials tried to keep media cameras away.
The blasts originated in a warehouse storing toxic chemicals and now, some residents have expressed concern that the air and water could have been poisoned.
When asked about air quality, construction worker Li Shulan, 49, said: 'I do feel a bit afraid. It definitely doesn't feel good. As you can see our boss is making us wear masks.'
An area two miles from the site was cordoned off while one school, which had been set up as a safe haven for residents living close to the danger area, had since been evacuated, according to Beijing News. It did not give a reason.
More than 700 injured and evacuated people were staying at the emergency shelter in the primary school in the Binhai New Area.
Distraught: The mother of missing firefighter Xue Ning is comforted by family members as she cries outside a news conference after trying to demand more information from government officials
Fear: Citizens wearing face masks walk the streets. Asked about air quality, construction worker Li Shulan said: 'I do feel a bit afraid'
Angry: Family members of firefighters missing in the explosions stormed a government news conference today, demanding information. Pictured: Wang Baoxia talked to a journalist about her missing brother Wang Quan
Aftermath: Firemen wearing gas masks prepare to combat fresh fires in the area of a huge explosion that rocked the port city of Tianjin
On Saturday, there were about seven small explosions in the area, according to a post on the micro-blog of the official China Central Television.
A witness told Reuters that a fresh blaze ignited cars in a parking lot next to the blast site, but the cause was not immediately clear. State media carried reports of other fires in the area.
A retired environmental official told reporters that air pollution posed no risk.
Bao Jingling, a former engineer with the city's environmental protection bureau, said: 'At the moment, the (air pollution) does not pose much danger to those in the vicinity,' said
Harmful substances could not be detected in the air from 17 monitors placed around the city, he added.
Around 6,300 people have been displaced by the blasts with around 721 injured and 33 in a serious condition, Xinhua news agency said. 
Miraculous: Zhou Ti, 19, was freed by rescuers around dawn on Friday morning after he was trapped for two days from the explosion
Treatment: Medics at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital clean the wounds of the 19-year-old firefighter injured in the blasts
Destroyed: Grim scenes show burnt-out vehicles and a building which was completely gutted in the blasts on Wednesday
Fear: Smoking debris can still be seen at the explosion site as police ordered residents to evacuate buildings within a two-mile radius
Shockwaves from the explosions were felt by residents in apartment blocks miles away in the city of 15 million people. Twenty-one of the dead were fire fighters.
About a dozen family members of missing firefighters tried to storm Mr Bao's press conference, angry at the lack of information about their loved ones.
Wang Baoxia, whose brother is missing, said: 'We have gone to each and every hospital by ourselves and not found them.
'There is no government official willing to meet us. Not even one.'
Relatives said around 25 missing firefighters were young contract workers not part of official city fire brigades. Media reports have said such firefighters in China, often only on two-year contracts, lack training as new recruits.
After Wednesday's blasts, fire crews were criticised for using water to douse flames, which may have contributed to the blasts given the volatile nature of the chemicals involved.
Industrial accidents are not uncommon in China following three decades of fast growth. Last year, a blast at an auto parts factory killed 75 people.
Evacuated: Residents carrying their essential items were evacuated from the danger zone around the site of the massive explosion
Nowhere to go: Around 6,300 people have been displaced by the blasts with around 721 injured and 33 in serious condition
Impact: Shockwaves from the explosions were felt by residents in apartment blocks miles away in the city of 15 million people
Protection: Firemen wear gas masks as they combat fresh fires in the area of a huge explosion at the chemical warehouse in Tianjin
Not the first time: Industrial accidents are not uncommon in China. Last year, a blast at an auto parts factory killed 75 people
Ablaze: Several vehicles are seen burning following blasts in Tianjin municipality late Wednesday evening, which killed at least 85 people
No comments:
Post a Comment