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Large Warehouse Explosions Injure 300-400 in Tianjin, China

posted by takyon on Wednesday August 12 2015, @11:00PM   

An Anonymous Coward writes:

Breaking: Massive Explosions Rock China's Tianjin

At least two major explosions tore through Tianjin in eastern China on Wednesday night. According to Xinhua, the shockwaves from the blasts "were felt kilometers away" and shattered windows.

Chinese media reports indicated that the blasts occurred around 11:30 p.m. local time. People's Daily tweeted that the "quake" from the blast was "felt 10 km away." In a separate tweet, People's Daily cited the China Earthquake Network Center as saying that two explosions had occurred within 30 seconds, one magnitude 2.3 M_L (or Richter magnitude) and [the] other magnitude 2.9 M_L.

The number of casualties is still unknown; Xinhua's official report (issued at around 3 a.m. local time) noted "at least 50" people injured, while the official Twitter account of People's Daily said a local hospital "has received 300-400 injured." No deaths have been confirmed as of this writing, but two firefighters have been reported missing.

Update: People's Daily is now reporting 13 dead.

There were conflicting reports as to the cause of the blast. Initial speculation suggested the cause was gas or oil-related, possibly connected to the liquid natural gas (LNG) terminal in Tianjin. By around 3 a.m. local time, official Chinese media sources were reporting that the explosion started at a warehouse in the Binhai New Area of Tianjin, where "dangerous goods" were being stored.

CCTV had the most specific information, citing the Tianjin Public Security Bureau as saying that the explosion occurred at the Tianjin Dongjiang Port Rui Hai International Logistics Co. Ltd, "which handles the transport of hazardous goods." Xing Zheming of CCTV America said the first explosion involved flammable materials; the second involved oil.

Update: People's Daily reports that a representative from Rui Hai is being questioned in connection with the explosion.

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Original Submission

• Port of Los Angeles, 1976 Port of Los Angeles, 1976 (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 13 2015, @03:47AM

  by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 13 2015, @03:47AM (#222104)

  That was a few years before I got to Cali.
  San Pedro is west of Long Beach.
  People I know from Long Beach gave me details of the damage miles away and how loud the sound was.

  Berth 46 [wikimapia.org]

  On December 17th, 1976, the 810ft SS Sansinena was completing oil discharge operations at Berth 46 and was sitting high in the water. Her crew began ballasting operations by adding seawater to her ballast tanks in order to bring the ship lower in the water and increase her stability, however this process caused the oil vapors from her cargo tanks to be displaced from the tanks onto her decks through open vents, and the calm winds in the harbor failed to disperse the fumes.

  As ballasting operations continued, the concentration of oil vapors on the deck and in the surrounding dock area steadily increased until 7:38pm, when something onboard the Sansinena sparked.

  The resulting explosion obliterated the Sansinena
  [...]
  Buildings in the immediate area were flattened, and windows up to 25 miles away were blown out by the pressure wave.

  SS Sansinena (Liberian Registry) [wikipedia.org]

  The official casualty count is:
  - 6 dead, all members of the Italian crew
  - 3 missing and presumed dead (two crew and one dock security guard)
  - 46 injured, 9 requiring hospitalization

  The explosion of Sansinena and technical details of the incident were featured as the first segment of the Engineering Disasters of the 70's episode of History Channel's Modern Marvels television series.

  Transcript [ark.com]

  The force of the blast could be felt 40 miles away.

  (That's pretty much all of the Los Angeles Basin.)

  The chief mate was supposed to have some flame screens in place over openings, which were venting out onto the deck.
  [...]The flame screens are intended to prevent any flame from going into the cargo tanks on the ship.
  [...]That was an industry practice at the time, and it appears they were not in place

  .
  Wanna bet this thing in China is because someone didn't do his job and didn't stick to the checklist?

  -- gewg_

  Starting Score:	0		points
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  Extra 'Interesting' Modifier		0
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• Re:Port of Los Angeles, 1976 (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 13 2015, @11:49AM

  by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 13 2015, @11:49AM (#222235)

  Wanna bet this thing in China is because someone didn't do his job and didn't stick to the checklist?

  https://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?cid=221716&sid=8949 [soylentnews.org]

  Parent