22 August 2015 (03:39 UTC-07 Tango 01)/31 Mordad 1394/07 Dhu al-Qa’dah 1436/09 Jia-Shen (7th month) 4713
U.S. farm vehicle maker Deere & Company (aka John Deere) reduced its profit expectations for 2015, saying they think sales will fall 21%. There was not mention of the fact that their production in Tianjin has been directly impacted by the Rui Hai warehouse explosions.
New York City business analysts say they were surprised by the sudden downgrade of Deere’s outlook, but it makes sense considering Deere’s factory in their biggest market was hit by the explosions.
The surprise safety inspections, launched yesterday, have resulted in more than 2-hundred chemical companies across China shutdown for safety violations. This will also negatively affect the economy.
There are reports that four new fires erupted in the blast zone, including in the massive new car park now called the Tomb of Cars. The other three fires are in the epicenter. Fires seem to be starting spontaneously due to the volatile chemical contamination.
“…there are about 40 kinds of chemicals stored in the warehouse. The situation is very complicated.”-Wang Hongjiang, deputy mayor of Tianjin
Rabbits are now being used as ‘canaries in the coal mine’. Caged rabbits are being placed throughout the blast area. One news report said it was to reassure residents that the air is safe, but it’s more likely an early warning system for NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) personnel who are still not sure about what chemicals were stored in the warehouse, and the fact that spontaneous chemical fires continue to erupt.
More than 3-thousand tonnes of contaminated water has been removed from blast zone. Water from one test site had sodium cyanide at 54.6 times what is considered safe.
The latest stats:
4,460 PLA and police personnel deployed
121 people dead (mainly firefighters, police and warehouse employees)
692 wounded (more than 50 Toyota employees wounded, it could have been more as the majority of Toyota employees had the day off, U.S. farm vehicle maker Deere also reported wounded employees, but refused to give specific numbers)
640 people still hospitalized
number of missing reduced to 54
322 rescued
Blast radius 3km
779 buildings damaged or destroyed
More than 11-thousand new cars destroyed, area now called Tomb of Cars
Jaguar-Land Rover reports nearly 6-thousand new vehicles destroyed
1-thousand+ new Toyotas destroyed
1-thousand 5-hundred new Renaults destroyed
2-thousand 7-hundred new VWs destroyed
Evacuation radius 5km
Vanke Harbor City residential area hardest hit affecting 260-thousand square meters (853-thousand square feet)
10 hectares (24.7 acres) confirmed contaminated with sodium cyanide
17-thousand families evacuated
30-thousand people directly affected
12 schools and 3 apartment buildings now evacuation shelters