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"I Could Feel Death" - Massive Explosion Rocks Chinese Port City, Martial Law Declared, 42 Dead (9 Firemen), Over 400 Injured

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Update (via Bernama): TIANJIN EXPLOSIONS KILL AT LEAST 42, INJURE OVER 400

Two powerful explosions at a "dangerous materials” warehouse jolted China's northeastern Tianjin on Wednesday night, leaving at least 42 people dead, including nine firefighters, and over 400 wounded.

 

The incident happened before midnight on Thursday; netizens on China-Twitter such as Weibo posted images of the blasts which resembled a huge mushroom cloud.

 

More than 1000 firefighters and 143 fire engines were dispatched to the scene since last night and massive rescue efforts were underway, the Tianjin Fire Department said on its official Weibo account.

 

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for an all-out effort to save the injured while Premier Li Keqiang vowed a thorough investigation and open and transparent information disclosure to the public, Xinhua news agency reported.

(via AP)...

The official Xinhua News agency says 32 people remain in critical condition and 283 others have been hospitalized following the explosions late Wednesday.

 

In all, more than 400 people have been injured.

 

The Beijing News newspaper says on its website that nine firefighters are among the 17 dead.

 

As is customary during disasters, Chinese authorities are trying to keep a tight control over information.
 
Police are keeping journalists and bystanders away with a cordon as many as a few kilometers (miles) from the site.

 

*  *  *
As we explained earlier...
It appears that carry trades are not the only thing blowing up in China. A massive explosion, fireball, and mushroom cloud can be seen at chemical storage facility in the Chinese port town of Tianjin...
  • *DEATH TOLL FROM BLAST IN CHINA'S TIANJIN RISES TO 17: DAILY
  • *TIANJIN HALTS SUBWAY TO BLAST-HIT BIN HAI NEW AREA ON THURSDAY
  • *TIANJIN MAYOR URGES CONTROL OF SECONDARY ACCIDENTS AFTER BLAST

Close-up...

The explosion could be seen from space...

As AP reports,

Huge explosions at a warehouse for dangerous materials in the northeastern Chinese port of Tianjin killed at least 17 people, injured hundreds and sent massive fireballs into the night sky, officials and witnesses said Thursday.

 

China's state broadcaster, CCTV, said that at least 17 people were killed and that 32 were in critical condition in hospital. Hundreds of others were taken to hospital. The explosions late Wednesday knocked doors off buildings in the area and shattered windows up to several kilometers (miles) away.

 

"I thought it was an earthquake, so I rushed downstairs without my shoes on," Tianjin resident Zhang Siyu, whose home is several kilometers from the blast site, said in a telephone interview. "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."

 

Zhang said she could see wounded people weeping. She said she did not see anyone who had been killed, but "I could feel death."

 

There was no indication of what caused the blasts, and no immediate sign of any large release of toxic chemicals into the air. Beijing News reported on its website that there was some unidentified yellow foam flowing at the site.

 

Police in Tianjin said an initial blast took place at shipping containers in a warehouse for hazardous materials owned by Ruihai Logistics, a company that says it's properly approved to handle hazardous materials. State media said senior management of the company had been detained by authorities, and that President Xi Jinping has demanded severe punishment for anyone found responsible for the explosions.

 

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.

 

The explosions took place in a mostly industrial zone, with some apartment buildings in the vicinity. Buildings of a half-dozen other logistics companies were destroyed in the blasts, and more than 1,000 new Renault cars were left charred in nearby parking lot, Beijing News said.

 

Photos taken by bystanders and circulating on microblogs show a gigantic fireball high in the sky, with a mushroom-cloud. Other photos on state media outlets showed a sea of fire that painted the night sky bright orange, with tall plumes of smoke.

 

About 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the explosion site is the luxury Fifth Avenue apartment complex on a road strewn with broken glass and pieces of charred metal thrown from explosion. Like surrounding buildings, the Mediterranean style complex had all its windows blown out, and some of its surfaces were scorched.

 

"It's lucky no one had moved in," said a worker on the site, Liu Junwei, 29. "But for us it's a total loss. Two years hard work down the drain."

 

"It had been all quiet, then the sky just lit up brighter than day and it looked like a fireworks show," said another worker on the site who gave just his surname, Li.

 

In one neighborhood about 10 to 20 kilometers (6 to 12 miles) from the blast site, some residents were sleeping on the street wearing gas masks, although there was no perceptible problem with the air apart from massive clouds of smoke seen in the distance.

 

"It was like what we were told a nuclear bomb would be like," said truck driver Zhao Zhencheng, who spent the night in the cab of his truck. "I've never even thought I'd see such a thing. It was terrifying but also beautiful."

 

At the nearby Taida Hospital as dawn broke, military medical tents were set up. Photos circulating online showed patients in bandages and with cuts.

 

State broadcaster CCTV said six battalions of firefighters had brought the ensuing fire under control, although it was still burning in the early hours of Thursday.

Images...

 

 

 

 

 

Clips...

 

 

 

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Wed, 08/12/2015 - 13:33 | 6418979 HowdyDoody
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Maybe some of the gold they have bought is actually plated U235. Bring too much together in a small place and boom!

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 13:38 | 6419011 Occams_Chainsaw
Occams_Chainsaw's picture

Iran approves!

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 13:49 | 6419058 froze25
froze25's picture

This is the year of the Fire Monkey is it not?  Sorry its just the Goat, next year is the dredded "Fire Monkey".

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 13:50 | 6419084 Uchtdorf
Uchtdorf's picture

I have a dream that one day every window shall be shattered...

-- Paulie Krugman

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 13:54 | 6419103 dontgoforit
dontgoforit's picture

I hate this.  Hopefully no one lost their life.  I've been in that area - really nice folks live there. 

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 13:57 | 6419127 Harlequin001
Harlequin001's picture

'lived' there...

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 14:02 | 6419150 ThaBigPerm
ThaBigPerm's picture

Was the EPA inspecting a dangerous leak at a chemical factory?

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 14:05 | 6419158 Latina Lover
Latina Lover's picture

Struck by Yiddish Lightning:

No inventory, No problem.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 14:10 | 6419188 Slurm
Slurm's picture

nuclear option on all fronts

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 14:25 | 6419254 ZerOhead
ZerOhead's picture

Looks and sounds nothing like the nuclear explosion in Yemen...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTE_Eshm2xw

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 14:27 | 6419265 quintago
quintago's picture

Go ahead...we dare you to devalue your currency again

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 14:55 | 6419381 Save_America1st
Save_America1st's picture

had to have been Puti....oh never mind...

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 15:01 | 6419407 bob_stl
bob_stl's picture

Traffic came to a halt while people got out of their cars, ran around and switched positions.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 15:10 | 6419459 Eirik Magnus Larssen
Eirik Magnus Larssen's picture

Understandle reaction. This was no minor blast.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 15:24 | 6419520 wee-weed up
wee-weed up's picture

Maybe a huge shipment of ammo about to be shipped to the Spratlys.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 15:50 | 6419636 BaBaBouy
BaBaBouy's picture

Man... That Fuckin Baken Crude Sure Gets Around...

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 15:56 | 6419655 Manthong
Manthong's picture

“from a dangerous good storage”

..looks more like a dangerous bad storage to me

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 16:10 | 6419707 BLOTTO
BLOTTO's picture

No comment. Im baked

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 16:30 | 6419821 Triggernometry
Triggernometry's picture

The emp from a nuclear blast that close would have taken out the camera, and thus there would not be footage of the fireball.  There is nothing to suggest a nuclear blast here.

 

Supply chain is about to get rocked, which makes me recall that ZH articles cataclysmic collapse of global supply chains.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 16:42 | 6419848 MisterMousePotato
MisterMousePotato's picture

Make sure to look at the video clips. The pictures don't do it justice.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 17:10 | 6419959 Four chan
Four chan's picture

their hirshima ghost city is really well done.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 17:56 | 6420125 Wary Hanger
Wary Hanger's picture

Happy NEW REAR!

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 19:19 | 6420319 Keyser
Keyser's picture

So, WWIII has officially started and it's now not only a cyber war, but a shooting war as well... 

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 20:13 | 6420478 NidStyles
NidStyles's picture

The area that exploded is for foreign investment and companies. There are no Chinese businesses where this explosion went off. 

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 20:30 | 6420528 Stackers
Stackers's picture

Ammonian nitrate fertilizer plant ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TworcINhDhQ

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 21:31 | 6420677 Richard Chesler
Richard Chesler's picture

17 dead.

1.357 BILLION to go.

Booyah!

 

Thu, 08/13/2015 - 01:07 | 6421244 SSRI Junkie
SSRI Junkie's picture

too many chinese fudgepackers farted at the same time while smoking

Thu, 08/13/2015 - 18:11 | 6423921 svayambhu108
svayambhu108's picture

Cause unclear anagram is: cause nuclear.

Thu, 08/13/2015 - 04:17 | 6421404 dreadnaught
dreadnaught's picture

i think it has passed 50 dead

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 18:02 | 6420144 Buko Badluck
Buko Badluck's picture

There is no EMP from a fission blast. Only fusion (thermonuclear) blasts produce EMP. Certainly you do not suggest the Yemen blast was thermonuclear?

 

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 19:46 | 6420386 El Vaquero
El Vaquero's picture

The gamma rays coming out of a fission device would disagree with you.  

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 15:11 | 6419462 RichardP
RichardP's picture

Chinese fireworks.  Maybe gunpoweder for firecrackers?

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 15:42 | 6419601 Cadavre
Cadavre's picture

Baltic Dry Short Squeeze?

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 21:08 | 6420619 Oracle of Kypseli
Oracle of Kypseli's picture

Orange is the new black swan

 

Thu, 08/13/2015 - 03:19 | 6421358 zhandax
zhandax's picture

Just a wild-assed guess:

"On October 30, 2007, construction for the CZ-5 production plant began in the TEDA West area near the Binhai New Area in Tianjin city. Building a completely new production facility that is close to the harbor will solve logistical problems associated with over-land transport of the large-sized rocket to launching centers. Instead, the rockets will be transported by sea from Tianjin to a new launch facility at Wenchang on Hainan Island. The new production facility would have an area totaling more than half a million square meters at the cost of RMB 4500 million (USD 650 million), with the first stage of the construction scheduled to be completed by 2009. When the production facility is completed in 2012, it would be capable of a maximum output of thirty CZ-5s annually. As of July 2012, development of the 1,200 kN thrust LOX/kerosene engine was test fired.[3] [6]"

"The finance and logistics guys all said it was win/win.  GenRe has this one!"

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 17:22 | 6420004 Crash Overide
Crash Overide's picture

Boom so big you get knocked off feet.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 18:06 | 6420155 StaresWithStares
StaresWithStares's picture

Sum Ting Wrong

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 19:13 | 6420311 wanderintheland
wanderintheland's picture

Was waiting for that one.

 

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 20:45 | 6420560 Implied Violins
Implied Violins's picture

...but he spelled it wong.

Wait...

Thu, 08/13/2015 - 03:36 | 6419617 Luc X. Ifer
Luc X. Ifer's picture

ISIS dogs unleashed to punish for the long serie of kicks in the groin :) ?!

This doesn't look civilian at all, but military all the way ...

http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/13/asia/china-tianjin-explosions/index.html

folks, this looks soo tactical thermobaric ...

https://youtu.be/8wvtRbCV-6w

https://youtu.be/nQwRMGa4jsU

https://youtu.be/BRYojKzC-xY

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-33896292

was it a sabotaged FOAB delivery from Russia? 

https://youtu.be/OJzASnmmxIM

 

 

Thu, 08/13/2015 - 00:48 | 6421221 gezley
gezley's picture

Someone else here on ZH mentioned a deal the Chinese were negotiating with Iran - Chinese fighter jets in exchange for Iranian oil.

So this explosion was either the City of London and Wall Street pissed off over the devaluation, or Tel Aviv pissed off over Iran getting their hands on 5th-generation fighter jets. Same people, in other words.

Or perhaps it was just an accident with natural causes after all, like WTC7. Small fires leading to cataclysmic consequences. That sort of thing.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 14:38 | 6419298 Jack Burton
Jack Burton's picture

Wow! Thanks for that link! The Saudis are bringing out the Fuel Air Bombs!

Also want to post a warning. Ukraine may be about to enter a new a major war. Intelligence from the Donestsk Republic Army has revealed that Ukraine's Army has built massive tank and artillery forces on the front between the DPR and LPR. Situated for a mass assault on Donestsk. What is needed now is a major False Flag to provided cover for Kiev to launch the mass offensive. So be aware. Something is coming.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 14:51 | 6419351 thamnosma
thamnosma's picture

Let's Roll.....oops, that was a different false flag.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 14:51 | 6419352 ebear
ebear's picture

"Situated for a mass assault on Donestsk."

Stalingrad.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 15:07 | 6419441 Phuk u
Phuk u's picture

JB why post about Ukraine on this thread ?

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 15:12 | 6419471 Time for Titus
Time for Titus's picture

Because its important breaking news. Keep it up, JB.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 16:09 | 6419679 fleur de lis
fleur de lis's picture

@PU -  All these events are tied in. The talking heads only read what is put in front of them but actually they have no idea what's going on. Additional information about military movements coinciding with civil distasters need to be looked at carefully. They might be coincidental. And they might not.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 16:14 | 6419745 BLOTTO
BLOTTO's picture

Oh, i think 'they' are trying to send us subtle hidden messages in plain view of whats to come...

.

Yesterday they were flashing images of KALI (god of destruction) on the EMPIRE State Building...

http://www.firstpost.com/world/goddess-kali-showcased-empire-state-build...

 

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 17:57 | 6420132 HL Shancken
HL Shancken's picture

Because he's a Russian shill, and that's what they do.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 15:31 | 6419550 geno-econ
geno-econ's picture

I thought we were only supplying Ukraine night vision goggles. Of course my intelligence comes  from State Dept. press releases.  So how will the Rebels and Russia respond to this offensive and does Ukraine's aggression  have Germany's approval to eliminate a buffer between a weak NATO and a strong Russia ?  Germany has the most to win or lose.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 18:24 | 6420202 cheech_wizard
cheech_wizard's picture

http://fortruss.blogspot.com/2015/08/aug-12-sitrep-ukraines-major-threat...

There are days I wish Putin would just let loose the dogs of war and end this nonsense once and for all.

Given the large amount of American and other foreign mercenaries, the show trials would be some great entertainment...

 

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 16:26 | 6419792 Dsyno
Dsyno's picture

That's not a nuke. Read the YouTube comments. That's a bunker buster that hit a munitions cache.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 17:20 | 6419999 AGuy
AGuy's picture

Not a nuke. When a Nuke detonates it causes a bright instantaneous flash. This was a slow increase in brightness which occurs with deflagration. Looks like a thermobaric bomb

See this clip @ 2:49 when you can see the begginng og the detenation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_o65B1JTiw

 

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 23:36 | 6421096 techpreist
techpreist's picture

The article mentions it happened at a chemical storage facility. Most likely, the lax standards and corner-cutting (who remembers the melamine milk?) caught up with the plant owner/designer, and some masive tanks of petrochemicals decided to convert themselves into energy in a hurry. Reminds me of the time I met one of the safety engineers from AkzoNobel (they make chemicals that will explode if merely left at room temperature, among toer things), and he said he didn't worry about competition from China "Because they cut corners, and within the first six months every one of the [explosive chemical] plants blows up."

BTW, to get an idea of how powerful chemical plant/storage explosions are, check out this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gI0qU4EZbS8

Thu, 08/13/2015 - 02:17 | 6421326 Toronto Kid
Toronto Kid's picture

Jesus H, the first 30 seconds of that video ... that's a sound that blanks the mind.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 19:57 | 6420419 sonoftx
sonoftx's picture

China much more impressive. But your link led to watch other links. Really started thinking about what it costs me to send .223 rounds or .308 rounds or hell these days .22 down range. Somebody makes a hell of a lot of money off this suffering and death. The. MIC kind of really sank in. I guess because it truly could be us or our children in the near future.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 14:25 | 6419259 StackShinyStuff
StackShinyStuff's picture

Ho Li Phuk

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 16:10 | 6419713 SamAdams
SamAdams's picture

Hoe Ree Phuk

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 16:58 | 6419909 WOAR
WOAR's picture

Wei Tu Blo

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 14:42 | 6419322 Miss Expectations
Miss Expectations's picture

EPA and China have collaborated on environmental issues for over three decades. EPA and the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) collaborate to address:

  • air pollution;
  • water pollution;
  • pollution from persistent organic pollutants and other toxics;
  • hazardous and solid waste;
  • prevention and restoration of contaminated sites;
  • emergency preparedness and response;
  • environmental institutions;
  • and environmental law development, implementation, compliance and enforcementhttp://www2.epa.gov/international-cooperation/epa-collaboration-china
Wed, 08/12/2015 - 16:07 | 6419698 indygo55
indygo55's picture

A big insurance claim is coming up soon. 

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 19:25 | 6420336 Dapper Dan
Dapper Dan's picture

VW sales will be better next month.

look at the building in the first photo,  17 dead my arse!

 

https://twitter.com/shanghaiist/status/631586620437696512/photo/1

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 21:35 | 6420704 Mike in GA
Mike in GA's picture

The explosion happened around 11:30pm local time in an industrial area.  Most office workers home in bed at that hour.

Thu, 08/13/2015 - 01:17 | 6421259 techpreist
techpreist's picture

Mike in GA has it right, most would be away at the time. However, if I had to guess, the explosion wasn't the main killer so much as the radiant heat. Makes me want to break out my chemical safety book and do a probit analysis on how far the 'kill radius' would be for the heat coming off this thing. Looking at the cars, I'd guess in the low thousands of feet.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 17:06 | 6419945 Rubicon727
Rubicon727's picture

Now *WHO* immediately comes to mind when something like this happens? Could it be the same government that's invaded, or set on fire such nations as those in Latin America, Vietnam, the Ukraine, and much of the Middle East?

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 22:42 | 6420954 The Earl of Cra...
The Earl of Crankcase's picture

Well, the news report mentioned that it was a "dangerous material" storage facility so my guess is that it was several metric tons of infant formula that blew. Or they may have outright lied and it was, in fact, a nuclear powered noodle factory. I guess we'll have to wait for the NY Times to tell us the "truth".

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 14:07 | 6419176 KnuckleDragger-X
KnuckleDragger-X's picture

Agree about hoping no life is lost, but chemical storage is vague. Some of that stuff can be extremely nasty and I'm wondering if they have a real emergency plan for near by evacuation.....

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 14:40 | 6419307 matermaker
matermaker's picture

I grew up down around the petro-chem industry near the Houston ship channel.  This one looks to rival the 1947 Texas City explosion.  Modern times have some REALLY nasty stuff housed shoulder to shoulder amongst each other.  I can only imagine what the Chinese have packed in that area.  This will go on for days and likely unleash a smog of phosgene like death.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 15:10 | 6419460 matermaker
matermaker's picture

Just reading about the port.  It's the World's 4th largest.  There are going to be more consequences than the initial distater.

Tianjin Port handled 476 million tonnes of cargo and 12.3 million TEU of containers in 2012,[10] making it the world's fourth largest port by throughput tonnage, and the tenth in container throughput.[11] The port trades with more than 600 ports in 180 countries and territories around the world.[2] It is served by over 115 regular container lines.[12] run by 60 liner companies, including all the top 20 liners.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 15:29 | 6419534 Arnold
Arnold's picture

Thanks.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 15:55 | 6419650 Never One Roach
Never One Roach's picture

matermaker, I read about that burn center in Galveston is one of the tops in the nation:

 

http://www.totalburncare.com/galveston_burn_centerpage.htm

 

This is extremely tragic for them. I've walked along that boardwalk in Tianjin; everyone's very friendly and helpful.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 15:49 | 6419634 matermaker
matermaker's picture

The port itself has 20k employees.  I would imagine dozens of ships docked at any one given time.  Twitter feeds are reporting buildings flattened up to 10 km away.  Nobody is going to be sailing in or out of those waters for quite some time.  This is going to cause major supply chain heartburn.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 16:04 | 6419682 matermaker
matermaker's picture

Explosions felt as earthquakes.  first mag 2.3-equivalent of 3 tons of TNT  second 2.9 mag- equivalent of 21 tons of TNT.  Yeah, that fire is going to burn a LONG time.  121 sq km of land surface and 151 berths.   Walmart might not have your favorite toilet paper in a few weeks.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 16:56 | 6419897 matermaker
matermaker's picture

Tianjin is a city of 15 million.  Guess what?  They're trying to get out of dodge.  This may or may not be a black swan, but it's surely a dark colored gosling.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 17:09 | 6419956 matermaker
matermaker's picture

just one of the companies listed in the 'new area' of Tianjin Binhai where the exploson was epicentered.  This is going to be a cluster fuck of epic proportions if they can't put those fires out.

TPCC consists of 23 oil refining units, 24 chemical production units and 3 chemical fiber units. It is currently the largest ethylene production base in China and the largest oil refiner in North China, with primary crude oil processing capacity of 15.5 million t/y, comprehensive processing capacity of 12.5 million t/y, and ethylene capacity of 1.2 million t/y (capacity of JV Company is included). It has the ability of producing PX 380 thousand t/y, PTA 340 thousand t/y and polyester 200 thousand t/y. The volume of crude oil storage is up to 270 thousand cubic meters. TPCC also owns associated utilities matching the major production units, with 400 thousand KW installed capacity of power supply and 100 thousand t/d water supply. The main products of the Company fall into three categories--oil refining, petrochemical and chemical fiber, including clean automobile gasoline, kerosene, light diesel, LPG, petrol coke, ethylene, propylene, polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene oxide, ethylene glycol, p-xylene, purified terephthalic acid, petroleum benzene, polyester and staple fiber. The products of the Company are popular and well-known in the market, among which stable fiber and 3# jet fuel oil are state-awarded products; “Tianxian” staple fiber, “Jingang” light diesel, motor gasoline and 3# jet fuel as well as “Dagang” industrial pure benzene are awarded Tianjin well-known trademark.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 17:21 | 6419990 847328_3527
847328_3527's picture

Hey, mater, is this possibly a tear-rist thingy as someone above suggested? It's pretty devastating, sadly. Prayers to all of them.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 17:25 | 6420014 matermaker
matermaker's picture

Doesn't really matter, 84.  Texas city blew because some asshat threw a cigarette down.  That was back in '47 and they only had a volunteer fire department of like 30 guys.  Early indications indicate that it's about the same sized blast.  Made Texas City look like Hiroshima.  It was a fertilizer ship with about 25 tons of amonia nitrate, I think. They still have a 2 thousand pound anchor stuck in the ground after the explosion threw it two miles away.  Point is, this place makes the Houston Ship Channel look like a backwater.  I was reading the various companies listed and the outputs/storage they have.  I worked in the petro-chem biz before I ran to the hills.  They have until about dawn over there to get control before the earth has a brand new BBQ pit on it.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 17:43 | 6420087 matermaker
matermaker's picture

For those of you familar with Houston and our largest oil port, this 'new area' looks to be like the typical on steroids China equivalent of HWY 225 from loop 610 to the channel.  Extremely Dense.

Thu, 08/13/2015 - 01:31 | 6421278 techpreist
techpreist's picture

Mater has it right about it likely being an accident. A 'great' corollary example might be the Piper Alpha disaster.

The unfortunate truth is, some (many/most?) companies will cut corners to maximize near-term profits. Not just at the top, but also the low-to-mid hot shots trying to look good to their superiors. Eventually, those cut corners eventually come back to haunt them. In the Piper Alpha case, saving a few bucks on blast-proof walls led to the loss of an entire rig + the worst offshore death toll in history.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 17:55 | 6420124 Farqued Up
Farqued Up's picture

I was thinking the same thing matermaker, ammonium nitrate fertilizer if not stabilized properly is a helluva blast material, ask the people in Oklahoma City, that was only a U-Haul truck, imagine a cargo ship of the stuff. While living in Houston I watched the news clips of that one in Texas City several times. It flattened everything for blocks and killed about 500 I think I remember correctly.

Phosgene synthesis requires chlorine and that is common around chemicals storage sites and chemical plants.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 18:11 | 6420170 matermaker
matermaker's picture

Yup!  If one company alone has 23 refineries, 24 chemical plants and 3 dense material plants[i.e nylon factory]  you can bet your ass they are all right next to each other.  That shit catches fire and it's all she wrote.  It's all up to the firefighters at this point.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 20:03 | 6420440 matermaker
matermaker's picture

If you try to google map Tianjin Dongjiang Port Rui Hai International Logistics Co. Ltd. you will find it's blacked out.  However, it's obvioulsy a finger island right off the river.  Poor bastards have a very long row to hoe. 

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 20:12 | 6420474 matermaker
matermaker's picture

and I mean, no website, no address, no phone number no nothing!     interesting huh?

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 20:15 | 6420483 matermaker
matermaker's picture

This is the corporation that is said by every news agency to be where this blew up.   try googling it.  If you can find any info, please share.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 20:24 | 6420516 matermaker
matermaker's picture

totally scrubbed.   go back and search for like 2014 and get a list of logistics companies in the area.  no mention.  i call bullshit.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 21:31 | 6420680 matermaker
matermaker's picture

downvote me all you want trolls, but i'd really like some info on some big freight forwarding company that just blew up the 4 largest port in the world.  'cause all the MSM blaming them?   i can't find a single detail.

Thu, 08/13/2015 - 03:09 | 6421359 Diplodicus Rex
Diplodicus Rex's picture

Google archive has a snapshot of the site  www.ruihailogistics.com here http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:www.ruihailogistics...

Address: Tianjin Port International Logistics Center

Ji Yun two 95 Contact: 022-25600450
Fax: 022-25600451
E-mail: ruihaikefu@ruihailogistics.com

 

http://whois.domaintools.com/ruihailogistics.com

Registry Registrant ID: 
Registrant Name: yuan youcheng
Registrant Organization: TianjinDongjiangPortRUIHAIInternationalLogisticsCo.,Ltd
Registrant Street: NO.95 JIYUN ROAD,TANGGU DISTRICT,TIANJIN,CHINA,,
Registrant City: tianjin
Registrant State/Province: tian jin
Registrant Postal Code: 300451
Registrant Country: CN
Registrant Phone: +86.02225604868
Registrant Phone Ext: 
Registrant Fax: +86.02225604868
Registrant Fax Ext: 
Registrant Email: 

 

Snapshot of web page from 01 July 2015

http://research.domaintools.com/research/screenshot-history/ruihailogist...

Thu, 08/13/2015 - 03:25 | 6421372 matermaker
matermaker's picture

thank you sir.  that's all i needed to know.   don't let an arc refuse you passage and drown you in the flood.

Thu, 08/13/2015 - 03:35 | 6421373 matermaker
matermaker's picture

if you copy and paste that addy into google maps?  it tells you it doesn't exist.   the photo from the snap?  looks to be about the size of a diner, not a freighter.   this is some thick ass modern day plot.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 21:51 | 6420768 matermaker
matermaker's picture

Total BS man.  look up the company they are blaming.  it doesn't exist anywere.   Any frieght forwarder that houses the equivalent of 21 tons of TNT along with 'dangerous materials' will at least have a phone number, address,  or website.  They just blew up the fourth largerst port in the world, yet they are a ghost.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 16:27 | 6419799 Bay Area Guy
Bay Area Guy's picture

I've been there too. Not the cleanest city around, but the people were quite pleasant. Very good seafood restaurants too. A shame.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 13:57 | 6419123 Fester
Fester's picture

OW MY BALLS

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 15:02 | 6419400 DetectiveStern
DetectiveStern's picture

.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 15:29 | 6419540 Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day's picture

shyber wor, currensi wor, real wor

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 15:45 | 6419621 toady
toady's picture

Wor Won Ton.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 16:11 | 6419722 indygo55
indygo55's picture

That last video shows the explosion was a high order explosion. There either had to be some major fuck up in handling some very volitile chems or it was something military. 

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 17:37 | 6420067 JBilyj
JBilyj's picture

Don't wheeze the gig so hardcore cruster...

-- Paulie Shore

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 15:02 | 6419410 sam i am
sam i am's picture

News Flash – Donetsk hit by over 800 artillery strikes by the NATO - Kiev junta Ukranian armed forces

 

http://thesaker.is/news-flash-donetsk-hit-by-over-800-artillery-strikes/

 


Wed, 08/12/2015 - 15:33 | 6419567 BadDog
BadDog's picture

Things seem to be falling apart everywhere. Now it seems that there is a large fire on the river in Moscow.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgCHa2yBlbA

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 17:54 | 6420122 GoinFawr
GoinFawr's picture

"Hey, even the Mona Lisa's falling apart." -TD

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 20:10 | 6420469 Redneck Hippy
Redneck Hippy's picture

What China needs now are some nuclear power plants.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 20:51 | 6420576 Occams_Chainsaw
Occams_Chainsaw's picture

I should have added a /sarc for all you pretentinous bastards who can't comprehend humor any longer.  Sorry......vote for Hitlery bitchez.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 13:41 | 6419021 AgentHarlequin
AgentHarlequin's picture

Time between 2nd explosion and blast arriving at observers position: ~6.6 seconds.

Sound travels at what, ~700mph?

(700/3600)*6.6 = 1.28 miles distance... maybe a bit too close for a nuclear blast?

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 13:45 | 6419044 El Vaquero
El Vaquero's picture

Yeah, that wan't a nuke.  Conventional explosions can get huge and lay down mushroom clouds too. 

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 14:10 | 6419184 KnuckleDragger-X
KnuckleDragger-X's picture

We had a blow up back in the 80's at the refinery in Borger Tx. that blew out windows more than 20 miles away. Fuel-air explosives can be very powerful.....

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 14:17 | 6419220 El Vaquero
El Vaquero's picture

Yup, and like what is seen in the videos posted in the article, often fires proceed BLEVEs, fuel air explosions and chemical plant explosions.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 14:45 | 6419335 CrazyCooter
CrazyCooter's picture

YouTube (educational) about BLEVE's and why industrail areas with fuel/chem storage are not a place you want to hang out when there is a fire ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM0jtD_OWLU

Regards,

Cooter

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 17:31 | 6419875 El Vaquero
El Vaquero's picture

Or train wrecks.   The risks of being around one of Uncle Warren's derailed trains:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-tUQTw_Vtk

 

(I'm not implying that was one of Uncle Warren's train cars, just that when one of his trains does derail, you don't want to be near it.)

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 23:56 | 6421134 Oh regional Indian
Oh regional Indian's picture

No such thing as a nuke...

http://heiwaco.tripod.com/bomb.htm

Thu, 08/13/2015 - 03:05 | 6421365 Allen_H
Allen_H's picture

I have also read that, very good website. TPTB hate him because of it. I made this composite for those who want to download and use: http://ititli.com/images/OzG8ae.jpg

Those poor people who live there, to have to deal with this, I doubt this is an accident and corner cutting as many have stated, it's just theory.

 

 

Thu, 08/13/2015 - 03:40 | 6421376 El Vaquero
El Vaquero's picture

LOL, I know and knew (many have passed away) people who built them and watched them go off.  In 1945, my grandparents were living in the Tularosa Basin.  Early one morning, my grandfather woke up and was a bit confused as to why the sun was not only rising early, but it was rising in the West.  Tularosa is East of the Trinity site.  I've held the trinitite in my hand.  On top of that, my dad used to work for the MIC.  When I was a kid, I got to put my hand on a LGM 118 because of that. 

Thu, 08/13/2015 - 11:14 | 6422228 WillyGroper
WillyGroper's picture

@ORI,

Challenge that thot.

Sun alignment, harmonics...

Many more of this man's vids are fascinating with his discoveries while flying.

According to him physics taught is BS.

He claims his advantage to discover was because his mind was not polluted by skool indoctrination.

Check out his formulas & how they came to be. All longhand.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 14:21 | 6419232 ZerOhead
ZerOhead's picture

Ya... definitely NOT a nuclear explosion. Nuclear explosions are much larger, louder, and show gamma or neutron scintillation effects on digital camera CCD's like the one that recently occured in Yemen...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTE_Eshm2xw

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 15:32 | 6419559 Pickleton
Pickleton's picture

Not a nuke dude.  Just stop it.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 16:39 | 6419844 nuubee
nuubee's picture

I think if that were a nuke, then the EMP from the blast would have shut down the camera being used to film it. Just a guess, I don't blow "neutron bombs" up as a profession.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 21:44 | 6420738 Rusty Shorts
Rusty Shorts's picture

Here's a clip someone was live-streaming when it was "just" a fire. The last few frames, all you see is debris flying at the camera. It is unlikely the person survived the explosion. :-( http://i.imgur.com/ruY55kK.gif

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 17:59 | 6420135 Farqued Up
Farqued Up's picture

Was that the Phillips plant?

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 15:31 | 6419556 PrometeyBezkrilov
PrometeyBezkrilov's picture

Can you post a link to at least one of such explosions, during Iraq invasion maybe?

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 16:37 | 6419806 El Vaquero
El Vaquero's picture

The pepcon explosion has been posted several times in this thread.  That was a rocket fuel plant. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvaaWwRWJ9I

 

Be sure and watch until the second explosion.  And then there is the fertilizer plant explosion in West Texas.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ReAjMhCeu0

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 20:49 | 6420570 Cornfedbloodstool
Cornfedbloodstool's picture

Pepcon Henderson NV just down the road from me. They still have perclorate in the drinking water here in the Las Vegas area.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 13:45 | 6419047 NoDebt
NoDebt's picture

Doesn't look like a nuke blast to me.  I'm no expert but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 13:52 | 6419096 Uchtdorf
Uchtdorf's picture

I'm at an El Cheapo Ramada on the border, and I second that emotion.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 14:07 | 6419177 aVileRat
aVileRat's picture

Not a nuke. Yellow indicates its just your garden variety of poorly managed china chemical fire. Nothing more sinister than a Bhophal, with none of the pesky Greenpeace or celeberity journalist 'on the ground' reporting. I'll bet the new warehouse/loading plant will be bullish for Chinese factory orders in October.

 

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 14:23 | 6419251 Eirik Magnus Larssen
Eirik Magnus Larssen's picture

Note how the human element doesn't factor into your assessment, at any point.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 14:54 | 6419370 Big Corked Boots
Big Corked Boots's picture

Well, his name is Rat, so there's an indication of his POV...

/s

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 14:56 | 6419383 pods
pods's picture

We are talking about China.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 15:07 | 6419435 Miffed Microbio...
Miffed Microbiologist's picture

Since I wear no colored ribbon, signifying my dedication to a human cause, I am without concern for the condition of others in your judgement?

Miffed

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 15:13 | 6419476 Eirik Magnus Larssen
Eirik Magnus Larssen's picture

I didn't imply you are without concern for others. I noted that the human element didn't factor into your assessment, at any point. No more, no less.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 16:03 | 6419680 Miffed Microbio...
Miffed Microbiologist's picture

By making a post as you did you are showing personal bias, inference, labeling others with an assessment of which you have no proof. No one said " hope some damn chinese died". Then you would have a reason.

Try proving you did not do a crime of which you have been accused. I have and believe me it is challenging. It is much easier to prove something you did do.

Just my observation.

Miffed

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 17:34 | 6420060 El Vaquero
El Vaquero's picture

Not to mention that when there is a disaster, you want some people who are capable of cold, hard rational thought. 

 

 

(That excludes FEMA, BTW.) 

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 17:56 | 6420126 Miffed Microbio...
Miffed Microbiologist's picture

Absolutely. When you see a severely injured child brought in the trauma room you must act quickly using all your training. Time is critical and his loved ones are counting on you and your skill. I reserve the tears for my sunset porch meditation/prayer after dinner when I try to find meaning in what transpired.

Miffed

Thu, 08/13/2015 - 01:34 | 6421282 Oh regional Indian
Oh regional Indian's picture

My sister is a surgeon. Worked the Johns Hopkins emergency room while getting degreed there....

Her stories are epic and I feel ya there miffed....

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 17:04 | 6419935 Socratic Dog
Socratic Dog's picture

Larssen, we're Mercans.  We blow the shit out of innocent people all over the world, day in and day out.  And we don't give a shit for those people.  We abort millions of fetuses annually, and sell their organs, and we don't give a shit.  Why would you be surprised that we don't give a shit about 20,000 barbequed Chinese?

Dunno whether to add a /sarc to that comment or not.  Way to much truth in it for my level of comfort.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 15:51 | 6419642 toady
toady's picture

Damn humans 

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 16:35 | 6419835 Pickleton
Pickleton's picture

I see no comment from you anywhere shedding a tear for those humans either so....

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 14:18 | 6419229 BandGap
BandGap's picture

Nukes are typically airburst detonated. And the light would have been even more blinding.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 14:41 | 6419301 mtl4
mtl4's picture

Not to mention nukes give you those nice donut mushroom clouds you see in the cartoons.

 

It's probably just a load of fake Tesla batteries that got dropped.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 15:31 | 6419553 Pickleton
Pickleton's picture

Of course, the existing fire before the big boom boom gives it away too.  And then, who would've nuked the side of that mountain.  

 

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 14:22 | 6419243 Implied Violins
Implied Violins's picture

OK, let's go full-on conspiracy theory here, and suck up some of those red arrows:

China devalues their currency, which could be considered an "aggressive" maneuver by the USSA.

So, our gubmint sets off that plant as a warning, perhaps by scalar weaponry or some space-based BS in response.

If true, we will see more and more of this as the currency wars heat up. The real war may continue to be 'covert' like this yet, for awhile.

p.s. anyone see my meds?

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 16:52 | 6419874 Citxmech
Citxmech's picture

I've been wondering if all of these train explosions lately haven't been exactly that. 

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 17:05 | 6419938 3rdWorldTrillionaire
3rdWorldTrillionaire's picture

Train explosions are by pipeline industry (Keystone advocates) and the pipeline burst in Santa Barbara was retaliation by rail industry (Buffett)... industry titans at war.

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 20:05 | 6420445 Ballin D
Ballin D's picture

anyone have reliable stats on pipeline failure rates and train derailments?

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 17:06 | 6419943 Socratic Dog
Socratic Dog's picture

Not as ridiculous a guess as you seem to think.   How the fuck would we know, if it did go that way?

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 13:50 | 6419081 Pareto
Pareto's picture

I agree.  long fucking ways a way for a chemical explostion to knock people off their feet over a mile away.  

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 14:40 | 6419308 BandGap
BandGap's picture

Not really. Fireworks explosions in Texas/Florida have about the same blast radius. I believe one of these blasts leveled buildings within a mile of the site.

http://www.firehouse.com/news/10535934/bodies-found-in-texas-fireworks-explosion

 

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 15:01 | 6419405 Pool Shark
Pool Shark's picture

 

 

Here an almost identical tank explosion from 2km away:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXCQYAc4VQc

Sat, 08/15/2015 - 01:36 | 6428398 Pareto
Pareto's picture

totally identical!  thank you.  explains a lot. +100

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 15:04 | 6419423 El Vaquero
El Vaquero's picture

The thing about chemical plants, storage facilities, munitions dumps, etc... is they can house a whole hulluva lot more in the way of chemical explosives than an airplane.  When those places go up, they can be much, much larger explosions than any conventional bombs that the military would use.  Never forget that yields from nuclear bombs are measured in the equivalent of kilotons or megatons of TNT.  If you have a plant that has a couple thousand tons of an explosive that is comparable to TNT in energy content, you can get a tactical nuke equivalent explosion. 

Wed, 08/12/2015 - 15:13 | 6419478 Miffed Microbio...
Miffed Microbiologist's picture

I noticed smoke when I was working at a private lab and was unable to find the source. It started to get very bad so I dialed 911. As the dispatcher was questioning me I mentioned it was a lab with several companies subletting space to do research. Shit, 3 min later 4 trucks were there and two film crews. The whole block was vacated. My 15 min of fame in San Diego I hope to forget.

Miffed

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