New Explosion Rocks China's Tianjin

BEIJING (Sputnik) — A minor explosion again occurred on Monday morning in the warehouse of dangerous substances in the Chinese port of Tianjin, where two massive blasts took place on Wednesday, Chinese Central Television (CCTV) reported Monday.

"A small explosion was recorded on Monday morning at the site of emergency in Tianjin," the TV channel said.

According to CCTV, the explosion occurred at about 7:00 a.m. local time [Sunday, 23:00 GMT]. Flames and white smoke were reported to had been observed at the site.

Two major explosions, which occurred in the city of Tianjin, a key port and petrochemical hub northeast of Beijing, killed 112 people, according to the latest government data. Some 95 people were reported missing, with 85 of them being firemen. Some 720 people have been hospitalized, including 25 critically wounded and 33 in serious condition.

The powerful explosions and a following fire were triggered by flammable goods stored in the warehouse along with hazardous chemicals such as sodium cyanide. On Sunday, a high-ranking Chinese official confirmed several hundred tons of highly toxic chemical sodium cyanide were found in the area hit by explosions.

The official said that the damaged containers with the toxic substance were controlled with chemical solutions and they would be collected and transported to safe places soon.