The blast injured dozens of people, reports say

Aug 12, 2015 19:29 GMT  ·  By

Just hours ago, a major blast rocked the northern port city of Tianjin in China. The explosion occurred at about 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 12, local time. 

Photos and videos of the mushroom-like cloud of flames and smoke are making the rounds, and reports say dozens of people were injured in the blow-up.

The explosion caused significant damage

For now, local authorities in the port city of Tianjin have only confirmed that, following the massive blast, around 50 victims had to be rushed to the hospital.

However, there is talk of many more people who were injured and who needed urgent medical care. No deaths have until now been reported.

“All of a sudden there was a flash of big red light, and a big sound. And 10 seconds afterwards, there was a big wave,” a witness said in an interview, as cited by RT.

It is understood that the blast also damaged nearby buildings. However, detailed information is, at least for the time being, quite scarce.

What is known is that the blast was so powerful that some people mistook it for an earthquake. Thus, windows were shattered and people took to the streets in a panic.

Firefighters have the flames under control 

Following the blast, firefighters arrived at the scene in a matter of minutes. Word has it the flames are now under control, but there is also talk of two firemen who went missing while trying to contain the fire.

The explosion is said to have occurred when a shipment of explosives in an industrial area caught fire and then moved on to trigger several other explosions at nearby sites.

Presently, it is unclear why it was that the explosives that triggered the blast caught fire. Authorities are investigating the circumstances of the incident and human error has not yet been ruled out.