2015 Tianjin explosions
Fireball from the first explosion
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| Time | ~23:30 CST (~15:30 UTC) onwards |
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| Date | 12 August 2015 |
| Venue | Port of Tianjin |
| Location | Binhai, Tianjin, China |
| Coordinates | 39°02′23″N 117°44′12″E / 39.03965°N 117.73655°ECoordinates: 39°02′23″N 117°44′12″E / 39.03965°N 117.73655°E |
| Type | Ammonium nitrate disaster |
| Cause | Auto-ignition of nitrocellulose |
| Deaths | 173 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 797 |
| Missing | 8 |
| Footage | Video |
On 12 August 2015, a series of explosions killed 173 people and injured hundreds of others at a container storage station at the Port of Tianjin. The first two explosions occurred within 30 seconds of each other at the facility, which is located in the Binhai New Area of Tianjin, China. The second explosion was far larger and involved the detonation of about 800 tonnes of ammonium nitrate. Fires caused by the initial explosions continued to burn uncontrolled throughout the weekend, repeatedly causing secondary explosions, with eight additional explosions occurring on 15 August.
The cause of the explosions was not immediately known, but an investigation concluded in February 2016 that an overheated container of dry nitrocellulose was the cause of the initial explosion.
Censored news coverage of the event and the emergency response to it received criticism. The Chinese government also censored the internet and social media using the words "Tianjin" and "explosion", and announced it had taken down multiple websites for publishing "false" information.
One month after the explosion, the casualty report was 173 deaths, 8 missing, and 797 non-fatal injuries.
Tianjin Dongjiang Port Ruihai International Logistics (天津东疆保税港区瑞海国际物流有限公司), or Ruihai Logistics (瑞海物流), is a privately held logistics company established in 2011. It handles hazardous chemicals within the Port of Tianjin, such as compressed air, flammable and corrosive substances, oxidizing agents, and toxic chemicals. The company, which employed 70, is designated by the Tianjin Maritime Safety Administration (天津海事局) as an approved agent for handling these hazardous chemicals at the port, and its operating license was renewed two months prior to the explosions. Its 46,000-square-metre (500,000 sq ft) site contains multiple warehouses for hazardous goods, a fire pump and a fire pond.
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