Tianjin Blast kills 44 and Leaves Many Homeless
Share:
Today in Tianjin, China, a chemical explosion in the 10th largest port in the world has killed at least 44 people and has injured 521 people, with more people missing. The Chinese government has lost contact with 18 fire-fighters who are now considered missing. A further 66 soldiers have been hospitalized. The blast could be felt up to 10 kilometres away and it was so powerful that it threw vehicles into the air and brought factory roofs crashing down. A Japanese meteorologist company said the blast was visible in space.
This afternoon (Thursday), 1000 fire-fighters have been called in to deal with the disaster zone – a port side industrial estate where the blast took place. 10,000 medical staff are working at 10 different hospitals to treat survivors, and 4 vehicles carrying 214 soldiers trained in nuclear, biological and chemical catastrophes have been dispatched to Tianjin.
The disaster has stirred up the a huge response from the community: thousands of volunteers have registered to give blood and help in the aftermath of the event. 3000 have been left homeless by the disaster but tonight that number may double. Schools have already been made available to the homeless.