How Far Can I Go? And How Much Can I Do?

China Digital Times ^ | 8/15/15 | He Xiaoxin

[Kartographer]

Journalist He Xiaoxin of The Beijing News (新京报) traveled to report from the scene of the massive explosion in a chemical warehouse at the Tianjin port, in which 104 people have been reported killed so far. Dramatic photos and videos of the explosion traveled quickly around the world via the Internet. But in this photo essay, He provides an up-close, personal look at the devastation. Propaganda officials have since banned media from reporting on the explosion or posting stories that did not originate from Xinhua:

[Kartographer]

This guy better have a way out of China or the cost of the bullet they are going to charge him.

[Kartographer]

The cars below the building had all been warped, their windows shattered.

WOW! I amd sure some of the damage to the cars is from flying debris, but most must have been from the shock wave.

[Kartographer]

ping

[Texas Eagle]

Just damn. My spidey senses told me this was being downplayed by the Chinese government. Now I know why.

104 dead, my big blue eyes.

[Kartographer]

They need to ‘donate’ some money to the Clinton Foundation and have them spin this. It might require a few accidents and sucides, but what is a few more bodies?

[Texas Eagle]

Indeed.

[HiTech RedNeck]

The plant was that sparsely staffed... seems unlikely.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Heads will roll, that is one certain thing about China. But whether it will be the heads that “need” to roll, is another question.

[Texas Eagle]

They’ll roll out the usual suspects. The Falun Gong. Underground Christians. Whatever the Chinese version of Tea Partiers is.

[wideminded]

I suppose the molten metal around the cars must be aluminum. It melts at 1221 F.

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

A few more than 104 died.

[Carl Vehse]

The unanswered question is what blew up... twice.

Calcium carbide, potassium nitrate, sodium nitrate, and water?!?

[wideminded]

This guy’s writing is very pleasant to read.

[HiTech RedNeck]

It sounds almost like a combination that was planned for sabotage.

If you put wet fire fighting foam on calcium carbide, it will evolve acetylene. The nitrates are great explosives. And then what, was someone talking about cyanide?

[HiTech RedNeck]

How many cars were in that lot... and how many corresponded to the staff at that plant? Any unfortunate person in that lot would have been immolated.

The blasts might not have killed many in the apartments but they would have wreaked havoc... where are all those people?

[virgil]

Reminds me of Bhopal. Notice how the roofs of the cars are caved in a V shape.

[null and void]

"Just then a firefighter whizzes past my lens carrying a water bag.

He’s submerged in this sea of hell-cars, and last night this was a sea of fire!

How insignificant is a person before these manmade objects, how weak before the forces of nature!

Some people say firefighters are “mighty.” But as I see it, they’re just fragile bodies."

The only thing I disagreed with.

They may be small in stature, their bodies may be fragile, but they have the spirit of a mighty dragon!

[SE Mom]

Wow. I read his whole report. He’s a remarkable young man. He wasn’t going to quit. Somehow, even in the midst of a communist country, people look for truth.

Go with God, Xiaoxin.

[Duchess47]

Incredible story and pictures.

[null and void]

Rare all ping list ping.

Excellent well written and ably translated article.

I urge you to read it.