(ECNS) - China's supercomputer Tianhe-1 has been shut down after the building it is located in was damaged by the powerful explosions in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin, Xinhua reported Thursday.[Special coverage]

The National Supercomputer Center in Tianjin is several kilometers away from the huge explosions at a warehouse for dangerous materials in Tianjin's Binhai New Area.

Broken glass litters the ground of the building that houses the computer and the ceiling has also falling off, says Liu Guangming, the director of the center.

Liu says he and other staff members rushed into the computer room and found the supercomputer still running normally after the blasts. However, as a safety precaution, the supercomputer was manually shut down, Liu says.

The center was built in 2008 and houses Tianhe-1, or Milky Way-1, the fastest and most powerful computer in the world according to a ranking in 2010.

Liu says the computer will resume services once it receives permission from local government.

China's Tianhe-2 has retained its title as the world's most powerful supercomputer, according to this year's newly-released Top 500 list.