Everyone within three kilometres of blast site in China urged to get out amid fears of poisoning by sodium cyanide as death toll rises to 104

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Chinese authorities have ordered the evacuation of everyone within three kilometres (1.9 miles) of the Tianjin blast site due to fears of chemical contamination after fires reignited and several explosions rocked the area on Saturday, local media reported.

Hundreds of evacuees housed at a temporary shelter for the homeless in a nearby primary school were also being moved away, amid fears that highly toxic chemical sodium cyanide discovered at the site could lead to more casualties.

“Out of consideration for toxic substances spreading, the masses nearby have been asked to evacuate,” Xinhua said.



Tianjin explosion command centre told local media on Saturday that the official death toll has risen to 104.

Fires broke out at 11.40am on Saturday at the Tianjin blast site, according to state media outlet Xinhua. Thick smoke and seven to eight blasts from at least three separate locations were heard at the scene. The state broadcaster CCTV reported that several cars had exploded in the nearby car park.

Chinese authorities increased the evacuation zone surrounding the blast site in Tianjin after fires reignited

At 11am police saying they were acting on “orders from higher authorities” began instructing people within two kilometres of the epicentre to be promptly evacuated, said the Beijing News. “No people or vehicle allowed within the area,” the police officer reportedly said.

According to the same report, a member of the People’s Armed Police said sodium cyanide had been discovered at the epicentre of the explosion. Experts are now handling the chemical while the evacuation continues.

The evacuation order came after authorities detected a wind change that threatened to spread toxic particles inland, according to other reports.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The original blast sent a huge fireball into the sky.

A journalist for CCTV reported their eyes were stinging after joining chemical troops wearing hazmat suits on a rescue mission on Saturday.



The rescuers found a survivor in his 50s, inside a shipping container 50 metres away from the epicentre of the explosion.

Earlier on Saturday anger over a lack of timely and accurate information about the blast spilled over at a press conference where the relatives of contract firefighters demanded to be heard.

According to an AP reporter at the media conference, media were locked inside as visibly upset relatives of the missing firefighters tried to force entry to the locked conference room, yelling for more information about their lost loved ones.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The mother of a missing firefighter weeps outside a press conference in Tiajin. Photograph: Jason Lee/Reuters

“Why aren’t the names of the contract firefighters on the public list of missing, but the regular firefighters are?” one woman demanded to know according to another Weibo post from the Southern People’s Weekly.

'Not a single police officer death has been reported. Everyone from our whole police station is gone.'

“No one with family in the number-five team has received anything,” the woman said, complaining about the paucity of information. “They’re only 18, 19 years old. The oldest is only 20 years old. They’re only children. They’re only youths!”

In an apparent attempt to calm the woman, a police representative at the media conference said the deaths of police officers had also not been reported. “Not a single police officer death has been reported,” the police officer said. “Everyone from our whole police station is gone.”

On Friday, CCTV cut short coverage of a media conference in Tianjin on Friday after reporters asked why residential areas were so close to the blast.

The identities of five deceased firefighters were revealed on Friday – the youngest was 21 years old. The ministry of public security’s fire department said it was the most casualties they had suffered since 1949.

The chaotic scenes followed a rare glimmer of hope on Friday when Chinese rescue teams located the 19-year-old firefighter Zhou Ti at the site of the blast more than 30 hours after it occurred. Reports emerged on Saturday that he was only 20 metres away from the epicentre of the explosion when he was found alive.

According to the latest official figures, 721 people have been admitted to hospital, including 25 in a critical condition, 33 people in intensive care, and 40 who have been discharged.