The Tianjin Blasts.

Dashcam footage of the prelude to the massive blast in Tianjin, China August 12th, 2015.

August 15th, 2015.

The Tianjin Blasts.

On August 12th the Port area of the Chinese city of Tianjin was struck by two massive explosions. At least 85 people are known to have died in the explosions.

The cause of the blasts is unknown but the Chinese Government claim that the disaster was as the result of an industrial accident related to the storage of volatile chemicals.

The sheer size and scale of the second blast has led to much speculation about the blast being the result of some type of attack, especially involving a Nuclear weapon. The second blast was estimated to be the equivalent of 21 tonnes of TNT.

Having watched as much footage of the incident as I could find there is no doubt that the blast seems to resemble a Nuclear explosion but until the contents of the storage area are known and the cause of the explosion is provided this will remain simply an hypothesis in search of evidence.

It is being claimed that the site has been attacked by a US B2 aircraft firing a missile. The available evidence does not appear to support an hypothesis that involves an external attack and there is nothing about the area of the blast that would make it a likely target of sabotage or attack as far as is currently known.

Sabotage is entirely possible, but there does not appear to be any basis for the claim that the site was struck by a missile.

The presence of fireman at the time of the blast (it is being reported that 21 died) tends to support the idea that the explosion was due to a pre-existing fire, as CBC report:

“The toll included at least 21 firefighters among the more than 1,000 sent to the disaster. Firefighters initially responded to a fire at the warehouse and many of them apparently were killed by a series of explosions triggered 40 minutes after the fire was reported.”

There are no witness reports that mention aircraft, missiles or anything that would support the notion of an aerial attack.

Tianjin Dongjiang Port Rui Hai International Logistics Co. Ltd

This is the best description I could find of the company running the business where the incident took place.

Backgrounder: The company with explosive warehouses in Tianjin – Xinhua | English.news.cn

“According to the company’s official website, Tianjin Dongjiang Port Rui Hai International Logistics Co. Ltd. was founded in 2011 and is a storage and distribution center of containers of dangerous goods at the Tianjin Port.”

“The company’s business includes the storage, transfer, distribution and customs declaration of dangerous chemicals. Freight volume through the company stands at one million tonnes each year, with annual revenues exceeding 30 million yuan.”

“The center includes two warehouses for dangerous goods. One is located next to an office building.”

Aerial view of the crater caused by the Tianjin blasts.

700 Tonnes of Sodium Cyanide.

One controversial aspect of the incident that the Chinese Government appear to be trying to suppress is that according to al Jazeera “at least 700 tonnes of sodium cyanide were at the site, along with other substances, and the poisonous chemical had been detected in sewage samples in the area.”

The al Jazeera report is derived from the Beijing News, who according to al Jazeera pulled the story.

“The report was no longer available on the (Beijing News) newspaper’s website on Friday.”

Sodium cyanide is apparently not a volatile substance, it was not what caused the explosion but it is extremely hazardous when dispersed in the air as an explosion would presumably do.

Nuclear and Chemical Experts.

On the other hand it is a fact that according to multiple media reports, the Chinese government are sending military experts in chemical and nuclear matters to investigate the incident. Al Jazeera report that:

“China has sent chemical experts into Tianjin to test for toxic gases after a series of deadly explosions.

“The team of nuclear and chemical experts is on the ground on Friday in the northern port city of Tianjin.”

It is highly likely that chemical experts would be asked to assess the situation regardless of the cause but the presence of the nuclear experts is harder to explain and indicates that perhaps the Chinese Government are suspicious that there may be a nuclear element to this event.

Either way, both sabotage and a nuclear accident are likely possible causes of this inferno. Although little about this incident can be stated with confidence at this stage the truth has a funny way of emerging over time.