奇速英语

天津塘沽大爆炸

Seventeen people were killed last night when a huge explosion hit an industrial area of China, injuring at least 300. The blast is believed to have come from a shipment of explosives inside a warehouse at about 11.30pm local time yesterday (5.30pm in Britain) in the north-eastern city of Tianjin.

Videos of the explosion showed flames lighting up the night sky, raising dust dozens of feet into the air, and residents in nearby said the blast had broken windows. Tianjin resident Zhang Siyu, who lives several miles from the blast site, said: “I thought it was an earthquake, so I rushed downstairs without my shoes on. Only once I was outside did I realize it was an explosion. There was the huge fireball in the sky with thick clouds. Everybody could see it.”

Post on Chinese social network Weibo showed a fireball shooting into the air and at least two separate explosions, while photos showed people in the street apparently covered in blood. Other images showed children being carried in blankets to safety.

It was claimed that the two explosions happened within 30 seconds of each other and about 100 fire trucks were sent to the scene, with most of the injuries caused by broken glass and stones. The firm running the warehouse was named by local media as Ruihai Logistics. The company says on its website that it was established in 2011. It says it handles one million tons of cargo annually.

The National Earthquake Bureau reported two major blasts before midnight local time - the first with an equivalent of 3 tons of TNT, and the second with the equivalent of 21 tons. Six thousand of firefighters brought the ensuing fire under control, although it was still burning. It was reported that the firefighters were combing the neighbourhood for possible injured residents.