Blast in China disrupts world’s 10th-largest port

Associated Press

SHANGHAI

Explosions that sent huge fireballs through China’s Tianjin port have disrupted the flow of cars, oil, iron ore and other items through the world’s 10th-largest port.

The blast sent shipping containers tumbling into one another, leaving them in bent, charred piles. Rows of new cars, lined up on vast lots for distribution across China, were reduced to blackened carcasses.

Ships carrying oil and “hazardous products” were barred from the port Thursday, the Tianjin Maritime Safety Administration said on its official microblog. It also said vessels were not allowed to enter the central port zone, which is near the blast site.

Tianjin is the 10th-largest port in the world by container volume and the seventh largest in China, according to the World Shipping Council, moving more containers than the ports of Rotterdam, Hamburg and Los Angeles. It handles vast quantities of metal ore, coal, steel, cars and crude oil.

Australian mining giant BHP Billiton said the blast had disrupted iron ore shipments and port operations, but had not damaged any iron ore at the port. “We are working with our customers to minimize any potential impact,” it said in a statement Thursday.

Volkswagen spokeswoman Larissa Braun said vehicles at a storage facility near the blast were damaged. “We will ship cars from our storage facilities at other ports to ensure our dealers have adequate supply,” she said. Volkswagen’s component plant, 12 miles away, suffered no damage, though some employees had minor injuries, she added.

Toyota said it also lost some cars awaiting shipment, though it was still investigating the extent of the damage.

The death toll from the fiery explosions climbed to 50 on Thursday, and the Chinese government sent experts to the shattered and smoldering port to assess any environmental dangers from the spectacular blasts.

More than 700 people were injured and dozens were reported missing in the explosions shortly before midnight Wednesday.