At Least 300 Injured in China Hazardous Materials Explosion

Huge explosions at a container port in the northeastern Chinese city of Tianjin have injured at least 300 people, state media outlets and officials said Thursday.

The state-run Beijing News said on its website that between 300 and 400 people had been admitted to hospitals in the city, east of Beijing. It said the explosions shattered windows and knocked off doors of buildings in the area.

Police in Tianjin said an initial blast took place late Wednesday night in shipping containers at a warehouse for hazardous materials owned by a logistics company. The official Xinhua News agency said an initial explosion triggered other blasts at nearby businesses.

The National Earthquake Bureau reported two major blasts before midnight, the first with an equivalent of 3 tons of TNT, and the second with the equivalent of 21 tons.

Photos circulating online showed a gigantic fireball high in the sky, with a mushroom-cloud.

State broadcaster CCTV said six battalions of firefighters had brought the ensuing fire under control, although it was still burning. It said the firefighters were combing the neighborhood for possible injured residents.