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[RumblingRosco]

I can only hope that because it was night time the area was mostly empty... Or at least emptier than during daylight hours. That's some serious power there.

 

[Goreomedy]

Let's hope it wasn't a chemical factory with highly toxic gas.

edit: oh seems like it's not a chemical factory.

Still could be chemical factory/fuel depot in the second, larger explosion.

 

[Shining Sunshine]

That dude is way too calm.

 

[Machina]

Terrifying.

Jesus christ, this is calamitous. Going to be big news if the death toll sky rockets.

 

[User 100115]

Reading reports of a ship in the port with a container of explosives... which seems incredibly stupid.

I don't understand how any sort of shipping container could cause an explosion that big unless it was intentional. Even then it would boggle the mind.

 

[blackflag]

I don't understand how any sort of shipping container could cause an explosion that big unless it was intentional. Even then it would boggle the mind.

It's probably possible but let's not pretend that the Chinese govt. would absolutely tell the world the whole truth.

 

[CDV13]

That's awful.

 

[marrec]

Tinfoil hat ON

Stuxnet 2.0?
Port harbor using crappy SCADA systems controlling container temperature being hacked, retaliation for the massive Chinese hack some weeks ago? We will probably never know the real cause for this.

That tinfoil would have to be extra thick to think this is some sort of government retaliation. I understand you're not serious here but it's more likely human error.

Though decades old SCADA systems are still in use in many industrial fascilities around the world. :-/

I don't understand how any sort of shipping container could cause an explosion that big unless it was intentional. Even then it would boggle the mind.

I imagine it was a large cargo ship packed to the brim to cause something like that.

 

[SmartWaffles]

I'm having difficulty believing that the body count is only 40. There's no way with an explosion that huge in such a populated city.

It is in the remote sea port region of the city, it is not as populated and it is mid of the night.

 

[cajunator]

BLEVE is the type of explosion - Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion.

yup

That's a big one it reminds me of the Pepcon Explosion (one of the biggest non-nuclear explosion ever i think)

Docu
Raw video

On the videos you can see the shockwave racing across the ground, then listen how long it take to hear the explosion, that's how far away the people were taking the video & half way up a mountain.

I have seen reports that this explosion is at a petrol storage facility (some have said its close to the port) also there are reports of about two hundred dead https://twitter.com/NewsThisSecond/status/631530824333139968 & people are fleeing the area!
Looks very bad indeed, depending what the chemicals are there could be a risk of toxins in the air.

Pepcon plant made rocket fuel. Ammonium perchlorate.

 

[User 100115]

It's probably possible but let's not pretend that the Chinese govt. would absolutely tell the world the whole truth.

Of course, which is what I was getting at, but still. I would have picked a less incredulous cover story than 'shipping container explosion'.

I might be way off, but shipping container to me is what is on semi-trucks and trains. :/

 

[maquiladora]

Tinfoil hat ON

Stuxnet 2.0?
Port harbor using crappy SCADA systems controlling container temperature being hacked, retaliation for the massive Chinese hack some weeks ago? We will probably never know the real cause for this.

ffs....they haven't even counted the bodies of the dead are you are writing conspiracy fan fiction. Disgusting.

 

[Shining Sunshine]

I don't understand how any sort of shipping container could cause an explosion that big unless it was intentional. Even then it would boggle the mind.

Sounds like a Chinese gov't propaganda obviously failing because of social media.

They always want to downplay issues in China to "keep face".

 

[cruets]

oh man, that was terrible, that kid crying on the phone with the adults lying bloody on the ground.....

 

[Goreomedy]

Unconfirmed reports of missing firefighters.

I wonder how long there was a fire before initial explosion?

 

[DontBeThatGuy]

Holy shit, like a mini nuke went off.

 

[waypoetic]

Video in the OP won't load.

EDIT: There we go..

 

[Mixolydian]

Oh my god. The first video posted... that fireball was so massive it made the city look like a playset.

Jesus.

 

[Alebrije]

oh man, that was terrible, that kid crying on the phone with the adults lying bloody on the ground.....

Yep, it is like something from Silent Hill.

 

[Retrocide]

I don't understand how any sort of shipping container could cause an explosion that big unless it was intentional. Even then it would boggle the mind.

It would hardly be the first time a ship exploded and leveled part of a city.

The Texas City disaster was an industrial accident that occurred April 16, 1947, in the Port of Texas City. It was the deadliest industrial accident in U.S. history, and one of the largest non-nuclear explosions. Originating with a mid-morning fire on board the French-registered vessel SS Grandcamp (docked in the port), its cargo of approximately 2,300 tons (approximately 2,100 metric tons) of ammonium nitrate detonated,[1] with the initial blast and subsequent chain-reaction of further fires and explosions in other ships and nearby oil-storage facilities killing at least 581 people, including all but one member of the Texas City fire department.[2] The disaster triggered the first ever class action lawsuit against the United States government, under the then-recently enacted Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), on behalf of 8,485 victims.

Texas City Disaster

 

[maquiladora]

I don't understand how any sort of shipping container could cause an explosion that big unless it was intentional. Even then it would boggle the mind.

Probably multiple containers that exploded in a chain reaction after the first one blew.

The second bigger explosion could have been the liquid natural gas storage tanks on shore damaged from the first blast.

 

[Bedameister]

Holy shit I fear the death toll will be way higher than only 40

 

[Zophar]

Tinfoil hat ON

Stuxnet 2.0?
Port harbor using crappy SCADA systems controlling container temperature being hacked, retaliation for the massive Chinese hack some weeks ago? We will probably never know the real cause for this.

In all likelihood it was workplace idiocy and cut corners. Don't underestimate Chinese contractors when it comes to putting lives at risk.

 

[Human_me]

BBC are reporting that it was a Petrol Storage Station:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-33896292

 

[Red Hood]

Holy shit, @0:25 looks like it's straight out of a movie. I'd like to hope there aren't any casualties, but shit this big? No chance.

 

[kmax]

That's one god damn blast.

 

[Shuggananas]

Holy shit I fear the death toll will be way higher than only 40

Yeah I'm thinking several hundreds if not thousands

 

[Goreomedy]

Edit, removed pic: Might be earlier explosion...

 

[TheLostBigBoss]

Tinfoil hat ON

Stuxnet 2.0?
Port harbor using crappy SCADA systems controlling container temperature being hacked, retaliation for the massive Chinese hack some weeks ago? We will probably never know the real cause for this.

oh yea totally. The US is going to retaliate by basically bombing a Chinese port.

Yup, you really cracked the code.

 

[shadowkat]

I don't understand how any sort of shipping container could cause an explosion that big unless it was intentional. Even then it would boggle the mind.

Well, I imagine it was more of a ship filled with containers that had explosive materials.

And it wouldn't be the first time something like this happened.

Halifax Explosion

Still, we don't know the details yet.

 

[SwiftDeath]

killing at least 581 people, including all but one member of the Texas City fire department.

Texas City Disaster

Damn that sounds awful. Hope this one doesn't have anywhere close to the number of victims affected

 

[A Fish Aficionado]

I don't understand how any sort of shipping container could cause an explosion that big unless it was intentional. Even then it would boggle the mind.

Many shipping containers can carry explosive or flammable material with normal everyday goods.

 

[Reven]

Sounds like the first explosion was explosive in a shipping container and the secondary was probably fuel stored at the port and or on the ships.

 

[El Odio]

All the photos and videos of this and it still looks absolutely unreal. Never seen an explosion that massive before outside of bomb test vids.

 

[Crimsonclaw111]

Jesus Christ those explosions. Never ever ever go near windows when you see something like that.

 

[BFIB]

No way this death toll will be this low.

Horrific. And I don't mean for it to sound wrong, but mesmerizing to see that level of force at work. Fucking insane.

 

[marrec]

Well, I imagine it was more of a ship filled with containers that had explosive materials.

And it wouldn't be the first time something like this happened.

Halifax Explosion

Still, we don't know the details yet.

Damn, between this and the Texas City Disaster it's a wonder French Cargo Ships are allowed anywhere near flammable chemicals.

 

[Ganhyun]

Of course, which is what I was getting at, but still. I would have picked a less incredulous cover story than 'shipping container explosion'.

I might be way off, but shipping container to me is what is on semi-trucks and trains. :/

They probably mean a shipping container you see on large boats that are used to ship most things from asia to north america.

here is a link to a ship full of them.

http://www.crowley.com/var/ezflow_s...rowley-Shipping-Container-Pegasus-J_large.jpg

 

[Kieli]

Just trying to work a crappy job, making ends meet in a honest way, and you die because of this shit.

 

[Beta Stage]

Those explosions are the stuff of nightmares.

 

[NastyBook]

Absolutely insane. RIP to the victims.

Holy crap

Nope nope nope nope NOPE.

 

[maquiladora]

This is not graphic but quite shocking. The moment the blast hit the entrance to a building. (NSFW)

https://pbs.twimg.com/tweet_video/CMOr6TFUYAAnotJ.mp4

 

[cruets]

wouldn't trust any casualty figures reported from china. death toll will be high but they'll cover it up like they did the high speed rail accident

 

[Alchemy]

This is horrifying, my heart goes out. Looks like a bomb going off. Holy shit.

 

[Masquerader]

Holy shit, what a tragedy. There must be at least a few hundred people dead... RIP to them all...

 

[Bubba_Sparks]

Video with a few different angles I saw on twitter. Warning, it gets really intense and you might hear panic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLfen9rjfvI&feature=youtu.be

In the first shot you can see whatever building or object that is in front of the explosion completely blown to bits!

 

[Machina]

http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTMwODI2NDU5Mg==.html

HOLY WOW

 

[backflip10019]

This is not graphic but quite shocking. The moment the blast hit the entrance to a building.

https://pbs.twimg.com/tweet_video/CMOr6TFUYAAnotJ.mp4

Jesus, I really hope that guy survived.

 

[spekkeh]

Holy shit, like a mini nuke went off.

I read a rumor of 21 tonnes of TNT, which would be two MOABs. Though that's 1/1000th of the Nagasaki bomb. (and a depressing 1/1,000,000 of hydrogen bombs)

 

[Darrenf]

Jesus the video in the OP is crazy. RIP to everybody who died. I did not expect the explosion to be so big