Chinese authorities have detained 12 people over the deadly explosions in Tianjin port on 12 August that have killed around 145 people, reports said.
Among those detained included the chairman, vice-chairman and three deputy general managers of Tianjin Ruihai International Logistics, owner of the warehouse that blew up due to the storage of the hazardous goods, according to Xinhua news.
Apart from the dozens detained, several other officials and port executives were also questioned for dereliction of duty or abuse of power.
The state-owned media reported that Zheng Qingyue, chairman of Tianjin Port Holdings, was being investigated in relation to the explosion, and the company’s vice-chairman has temporarily taken over Zheng’s duties.
China’s state prosecutor said an investigation of the blasts had found officials from a range of agencies to have been irresponsible and negligent in the supervision of Tianjin Ruihai.
These agencies included Tianjin’s transport, land resources, work safety and customs offices, and state-owned port companies.
The aftermath of the explosions has sparked fears of toxic pollutants contaminating the city’s air and water.
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