The massive explosions in Tianjin, China, that have claimed over 100 lives thus far, make clear that the consolidation of power without checks and balances yields not only corruption but leads almost inevitably to tragic consequences. While details remain sketchy, owners of the company that controlled the warehouses that exploded have conceded that they used their political connections to get approval for the site despite violating rules on the storage of hazardous chemicals. This problem is by no means uniquely Chinese. But as with so many things in that country, the impact is much larger and more severe.
On Aug. 12, a series of explosions rocked the port district of Tianjin, a major city of 15 million people. The blasts were triggered by a fire of unknown origin in the warehouse area. Firefighters used water to fight the blaze, unaware of the reaction it would have when mixed with chemicals stored in the facilities. Two explosions followed. The first caused a tremor equivalent to a magnitude-2.3 earthquake, or a blast of 3 tons of explosives. The second, larger, blast occurred soon after — reaching magnitude-2.9 on the earthquake scale and equal to 21 tons of TNT. Another eight explosions followed three days later.
Predictably, blasts of that size did immense damage. The death toll has reached 114, while dozens of people — including large numbers of firefighters — remain missing. Over 650 people have been injured and more than 17,000 homes damaged.