44 killed, over 500 injured in China blasts

Beijing, Aug 13: At least 44 people were killed and over 500 injured in two massive explosives that ripped through a warehouse in China's port city of Tianjin, destroying hundreds of cars, shattering window panes and with huge flames leaping into the night sky. Twelve fire-fighters were among those killed in the blast late Wednesday at the warehouse, which stores dangerous goods, in the Binhai New Area, Xinhua news agency reported. The first explosion occurred at 11.30 p.m. and was followed by a second more powerful blast, seconds later, BBC reported. A total of 520 people have been hospitalized, including 66 who are critically injured, rescuers said. Tianjin, about half an hour from Beijing by train, is home to 14.72 million people. Zhang, who lives a 10-minute-drive from the site, said the blast made the night sky as bright as it was in the daytime, reported China Daily citing sohu.com. A video clip of a witness showed that the heavy smoke covered the sky, and shortly after fires raged. There were loud bangs. Truck driver Hu Xiaoliang, 32, woke up on Wednesday night due to a ear-shattering blast which threw him away from beneath his truck, where he and his co-workers were resting. "It's all black and smog, I can't see anything inside. Some of my colleagues had even worse injuries," an injured fire-fighter in his 20s told Xinhua. Smog billowed from the site. In a nearby apartment complex, the balconies of many apartment buildings were shattered.