CHINA-BLAST/NEWSER Tianjin port head says will cooperate with blast investigation

Record ID: 143379

  • Title: CHINA-BLAST/NEWSER Tianjin port head says will cooperate with blast investigation
  • Date: 19th August 2015
  • Summary: TIANJIN, CHINA (AUGUST 19, 2015) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** OFFICIALS WALKING IN FOR NEWS CONFERENCE MEDIA FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHAIRMAN OF TIANJIN PORT LTD. GROUP, ZHENG QINGYUE, SAYING: "We will actively cooperate with the investigation of the State Council investigation team. If the investigation team finds that Tianjin Port Group, no matter whether it's the Group or individuals, if in some aspect there's a problem, we will bravely accept our responsibilities and face any punishment." JOURNALIST TAKING NOTES (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) HEAD OF THE CITY ENVIRONMENTAL EMERGENCY EXPERT GROUP OF TIANJIN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION BUREAU, BAO JINGLING, SAYING: "We are not in charge of testing things inside (the blast site), that's the first thing, the second thing is that nerve gas is not a subject of our routine or non-routine test, because nerve gas is something normally handled by the military. We are not quite sure what kind of substance it is." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS JOURNALIST SCRUMMING AROUND TIANJIN PORT CHAIRMAN AS HE TRIES TO LEAVE CAR WITH ZHENG DRIVING AWAY
  • Embargoed: 3rd September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China
  • Country: China
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA4QEDJFKSI3SOYURYP5274ISFR
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The head of the Tianjin port on Wednesday (August 19) pledged to cooperate with authorities' investigation into two deadly explosions in a port warehouse storing dangerous chemicals last week.
    Over a hundred people have been killed by the blasts at a warehouse which stored hazardous chemicals at Tianjin Port.
    "We will actively cooperate with the investigation of the State Council investigation team. If the investigation team finds that Tianjin Port Group, no matter whether it's the Group or individuals, if in some aspect there's a problem, we will bravely accept our responsibilities and face any punishment," said Zheng Qingyue, chairman of the Tianjin Port Ltd. Group.
    The People's Daily, the ruling Communist Party's official newspaper, said last week warehouse owner Tianjin Dongjiang Port Ruihai International Logistics had operated without a licence to work with dangerous chemicals because of an administrative loophole.
    Zheng said that he was unaware of Ruihai Logistics' violations, adding that Ruihai was just one of many companies at the port and that his company was not directly responsible or aware of its operations.
    The explosions late last Wednesday (August 12) in Tianjin, the world's 10th-busiest port in China's industrial northeast, forced the evacuation of thousands of people after toxic chemicals were detected in the air.
    More than 700 people were injured and another 65, mostly fire fighters, are still missing.
    Investigators have not determined the cause of the blasts but the disaster has deepened public concern about safety regulations.
    The government has confirmed there was about 700 tons of the deadly chemical sodium cyanide in the warehouse that blew up.
    Some local media reported on Tuesday (August 18) that nerve gas had been detected at the blast site, but the city's environmental monitoring chief, Bao Jingling, said his agency was not in the position to confirm or deny the reports.
    "We are not in charge of testing things inside (the blast site), that's the first thing, the second thing is that nerve gas is not a subject of our routine or non-routine test, because nerve gas is something normally handled by the military. We are not quite sure what kind of substance it is," said Bao.
    Hundreds of people who lived near the blast site have demanded that the government arrange compensation or buy back their property.
    Fitch Ratings said insurance losses from the explosions could be material for Chinese insurance companies and potentially exceed $1 billion-$1.5 billion.
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