At least 123 people have died in four fires that broke out at the site of last week’s fatal blasts in the northern city of Tianjin, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported, citing information from a Sunday press conference.
Among the victims were 70 firefighters and seven police officers, Xinhau reported. Fifty people are missing.
Three of the fires were at the core of the explosion site, while a fourth was at an automobile distribution center nearby and could have been caused by a burning fuel tank, Xinhua said.
The August 12 blasts occurred at a warehouse, where more than 700 tons of highly toxic substances, mainly sodium cyanide, were being stored.
The explosions affected a huge swath of the city: 17,000 homes damaged, more than 170 companies affected and 3,000 cars destroyed.