Two massive explosions caused by flammable goods ripped through an industrial area in the northeast Chinese port city of Tianjin late on Wednesday, killing 17 people and injuring as many as 400, official Chinese media reported.
Authorities had lost contact with 36 firefighters on the scene, the official Beijing News newspaper said, citing the Tianjin fire department.
The force of the explosions unnerved residents across much of the city of 15 million people, with some posting videos on the Internet that showed giant fireballs shooting into the sky and a shock wave buffeting apartment blocks and cars.