Hundreds of people are reported to have been injured by a massive explosion at an industrial port in Tianjin in north-east China.
The official Xinhua news agency said the blast happened at about 11.30 pm (4.30pm GMT), when a deafening bang was heard as plumes of flame lit up the sky, scattering dust dozens of metres into the air. Shockwaves from the blast were felt miles away.
Local media said the blast occurred at a petrol storage station at the city’s Binhai New Development Zone. According to reports in China, the explosion was caused by flammable cargo at a container terminal.
Tianjin, a city of 7.5 million people, is a base for refining and petrochemical industries.
Tianjin - Ledakan besar terjadi di Pelabuhan Provinsi Tianjin, China pada malam ini. Ledakan ini membuat sedikitnya puluhan orang mengalami luka-luka. Ledakan ini juga membuat daerah pelabuhan menjadi kebakaran.
Dilansir dari BBC, Kamis (14/8/2015), ledakan terjadi pada pukul 23.30 waktu setempat. Ledakan itu menghembuskan api setinggi langit seperti sebuah kembang api yang meledak di udara.
Menurut media lokal, ledakan terjadi saat adanya bongkar muat bahan peledak di pelabuhan tersebut. Beberapa warga sekitar mengambil gambar dari ponsel dan menguploadnya ke dalam media sosial. Digambarkan ledakan itu sangat dahsyat, bahkan beberapa bola api terlihat terbang ke udara.
Menurut kantor berita Xinhua, sedikitnya 50 orang dilarikan ke rumah sakit. Belum ada informasi resmi apakah ada korban jiwa atau tidak.
Salah seorang warga, Yang, mengaku terkejut dengan ledakan itu. Saat ledakan terjadi, dirinya sedang belanja di minimarket dekat lokasi.
"Pada saat ledakan tanah bergetar, temasuk mobil, bangunan dan kaca bergetar. Bahkan ada beberapa kaca yang pecah," ucap Yang.
Beijing (CNN)A massive explosion shook the northern Chinese city of Tianjin late Wednesday, startling residents and injuring more than 50 people, according to state media.
The cause was not immediately clear. It was not known whether anyone had been killed.
The explosion erupted at a container port where flammable material was being stored, reported CCTV, China's state-owned broadcaster.
The state-run Xinhua news agency reported that a hospital had received more than 50 patients. The initial blast triggered secondary explosions, causing local tremors, Xinhua said. Residents said the blast shattered windows and fish tanks.
Firefighters were dispatched immediately, according to the Tianjin Public Security Bureau. The explosion occurred at a shipping container, the bureau said, citing a preliminary analysis.
The firefighting division of the Chinese Public Security Ministry reported that firefighters were first called to the scene about a fire. The explosion happened after they arrived and damaged buildings and infrastructure. Four firefighters were injured and two more have lost contact, the ministry said.
Steven Jiang reported from Beijing. Dana Ford reported and wrote from Atlanta. CNN's Kevin Wang and Don Melvin contributed to this report.
Terperangkap 31 Jam, Pemadam Kebakaran Berhasil Diselamatkan
Tianjin - Seorang petugas pemadam kebakaran berhasil diselamatkan setelah terjebak selama 31 jam di tempat ledakan di Tianjin, Tiongkok. Seperti dilaporkan oleh pemerintah kota Tianjin dan kantor berita Xinhua setidaknya 56 orang - termasuk 21 petugas pemadam kebakaran dilaporkann tewas setelah terjadi dua ledakan besar sekitar pukul 23.30, Rabu (12/8) waktu setempat.
Petugas pemadam kebakaran yang berhasil diselamatkan diindentifikasikan sebagai Zhou Ti (19). Menurut stasiun televisi CCTV milik pemerintah Tiongkok, Zhou Li dirawat karena cedera bakar, menghirup asap serta cedera di bagian kaki.
"Petugas dari seluruh organisasi masih mencari petugas pemadam kebakaran yang hilang," kata Kepala Pemadam Kebakaran Tianjin Zhou Tian dalam konferensi pers, Jumat (14/8) seperti dikutip Associated Press.
Menurut kantor berita Xinhua sekitar 701 orang masih menjalani perawatan di rumah sakit setelah ledakan dahsyat tersebut dan lebih dari selusin petugas pemadam kebakaran masih dilaporkan hilang.