CHINA-BLAST/TIANJIN-NEWSER China officials say cyanide deposits 28 times over safety limits tested in water near Tianjin blast site

Record ID: 143581

  • Title: CHINA-BLAST/TIANJIN-NEWSER China officials say cyanide deposits 28 times over safety limits tested in water near Tianjin blast site
  • Date: 18th August 2015
  • Summary: TIANJIN, CHINA (AUGUST 18, 2015) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** OFFICIALS WALKING IN FOR NEWS CONFERENCE CAMERAMEN FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) HEAD OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL EMERGENCY EXPERT GROUP OF THE TIANJIN ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION BUREAU, BAO JINGLING, SAYING: "Based on the relevant standards, cyanide deposits have been detected at a total of 29 (te
  • Embargoed: 2nd September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China
  • Country: China
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA7QFKH2KTDB5ZG9DHJ2KE9L6Q2
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Chinese officials said on Tuesday (August 18) that cyanide deposits 28 times over safety limits had been found in water within the exclusion zone of the Tianjin blast site, though cyanide deposits outside the exclusion zone remained within safe limits.
    The death toll from the two blasts last Wednesday (August 12) stood at 114 on Tuesday. More than 700 people were injured and 57 remained missing, most of them fire fighters, officials said.
    The explosions sent fireballs high into the sky and hurled flaming debris across the world's 10th-largest port, burning out buildings and shattering windows kilometers away.
    Official Xinhua news agency said there had been another small explosion on Monday (August 17).
    The government has confirmed there was about 700 tons of the deadly chemical sodium cyanide in the warehouse that blew up.
    On Monday, monitoring stations picked up cyanide readings in water within the two-kilometre exclusion zone multiple times accepted levels, officials said.
    "Based on the relevant standards, cyanide deposits have been detected at a total of 29 (testing) sites, of which 8 sites are over the limit. All the sites registering amounts over the limit are within the exclusion zone. The largest amount over the limit is 28.4 times. Above-limit cyanide deposits have yet to be discovered at the 14 sites outside the exclusion zone," said Bao Jingling, head of the environmental emergency expert group of the Tianjin Environment Protection Bureau.
    As the news conference went on, about 40 protesters gathered outside the venue, demanding compensation from the government as their homes had been badly damaged in the blasts.
    Zong Guoying, Secretary of the Tianjin city Binhai New District standing committee, reassured that the government had made relevant arrangements.
    "Everyone is quite concerned with the situation regarding the repair of damaged housing. Because there is varying extent of damage, some are lightly, some heavily, we have already set up a service centre to determine the extent of damage, once they have determined the extent they will compensate those who need to be compensated and deal with those who need to be dealt with in line with the market range, the law and regulations. This work has a big impact on the benefits of the people," Zong said.
    About 6,300 people have been evacuated from around the site in the city of about 15 million and the gateway to China's industrial northeast.
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