China blasts caught on weather satellite

The explosions in the Chinese city of Tianjin were so large that they were seen by satellites in space, sent shockwaves through apartment blocks kilometres away and were recorded by seismographs.

Shipments of oil and iron ore were disrupted at the northern Chinese port as a result of the explosions.

The blasts, originating at a warehouse for hazardous material, turned buildings in the immediate vicinity into charred, skeletal shells while shattering windows up to several kilometres away. “I thought it was an earthquake, so I rushed downstairs without my shoes on,” said.

Tianjin resident Zhang Siyu, whose home is several kilometres from the blast site. “Only once I was outside did I realise it was an explosion. There was the huge fireball in the sky with thick clouds. Everybody could see it.”