Enormous explosions in Chinese city of Tianjin kill at least 44, injure 400

At least 44 people are dead and hundreds injured following massive explosions in the Chinese port city of Tianjin late Wednesday.

Two blasts rocked a warehouse that stored "dangerous and chemical goods." State broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) said a shipment of explosives detonated, but that has not been confirmed. The shock waves were felt several miles away, and China Earthquake Networks Center said the magnitude of the first explosion was the equivalent of three tons of TNT being detonated, and the second the equivalent of 21 tons. Canadian teacher Monica Andrews told the BBC she woke up thinking there had been an earthquake. "I...looked out the window and the sky was red," she said. "I just watched a second explosion go off and [it was] just pure chaos, everyone leaving their apartment buildings thinking it's an earthquake, cars trying to leave the complex. It was crazy."

Hospitals are overwhelmed by the vast number of casualties, the BBC reports, and dorms used by workers are among the buildings that have been destroyed. CCTV says that four of the dead are firefighters, and of the 400 injured, 32 are in critical condition. Tianjin is southeast of Beijing, and home to 15 million people. Watch the video below to see footage of the explosions filmed by area residents. Catherine Garcia

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