President Xi calls for crews not to ease up

Rescue team examines the blasts site in Tianjin on Aug 16. [Photo/Xinhua]

High levels of cyanide chemicals detected in core zone, but water outside of area safe

President Xi Jinping has called on rescue crews at the site of the deadly Tianjin blasts to not let up with their efforts and for agencies to train their focus on effective follow-up measures.

According to a statement issued after the meeting of the Political Bureau Standing Committee on Thursday, the nation's top leaders demanded a thorough investigation into the cause of the Aug 12 blasts, which destroyed a warehouse in the Tianjin Binhai New Area that stored hazardous chemicals, including about 700 metric tons of sodium cyanide.

The blasts have claimed the lives of 116 people, including 65 firefighters and left 60 missing, as of 3:00 pm on Friday.

Saving lives and treating the injured should be given priority, according to the statement. The rescue team should carefully check the blast zone and surrounding area, and not give up on missing people, it said.

The statement stressed that remaining hazardous chemicals must be properly removed to avoid further accidents.

According to Tian Weiyong, director of the Ministry of Environmental Protection's Environment Emergency Center, eight of 16 water monitoring stations in the core blast zone have detected concentrations of highly toxic cyanide compounds exceeding the national standard, with the highest being 356 times the standard.

"But all the polluted water will be kept within the zone until it has been properly handled," Tian said, adding that tests showed water outside the blast zone was within the national standard.

"Vehicles transporting polluted water and chemicals will also be cleaned before leaving the zone to avoid any contamination."