Chinese military orders weapons safety check after Tianjin blasts

BEIJING: The Chinese military has ordered a thorough safety check of the army's storage of weapons and ammunitions after last week's deadly warehouse explosions in Tianjin in which 114 people were killed and 65 others went missing.

The PLA's four headquarters -- General Staff Headquarters, General Political Department, General Logistics Department and General Armament Department-- have issued a joint circular ordering the check, according to the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Daily.

Authorities from the four wings held a conference regarding the safety check on Sunday.

The army and armed police were told to carry out thorough examination of their weapon, ammunition, fuel, chemical, explosive and toxic material warehouses to avert similar incident like in Tianjin.

Twin blasts in a warehouse attached to the Tianjin port destroyed several kilometres of the area around it, including a number of high-rise apartment blocks.

The massive chemical explosions considered to be China's worst industrial accident killed 114 people with 65 others still remain missing. Over 670 people are still undergoing treatment in hospitals.

While it is not yet known what has caused the explosions, officials resorted to a complex cleaning process to clear over 3,000 tonnes of chemicals stored in the sprawling warehouse, including 700 tonnes of sodium cyanide.

The military deployed over 500 troops trained nuclear and biological warfare for the cleanup amid fears of air and water contamination and reports of presence of nerve gas.

The army and armed police were told to carry out thorough examination of their weapon, ammunition, fuel, chemical, explosive and toxic material warehouses, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Safely storing inflammable, explosive and biochemical hazardous materials and ammunition disposal should be given special attention, it said.

The document also required education for soldiers and officers on the extreme importance of safety issues in order to learn from the Tianjin explosions and prevent other accidents.

Leading officers at all levels should personally take part in the checks and supervision to solve practical problems, it said.

Moreover, the military demands improved response plans and intensified drills in case of emergencies.

Safely storing inflammable, explosive and biochemical hazardous materials and ammunition disposal should be given special attention, the circular said.

The document also required education for soldiers and officers on the extreme importance of safety issues in order to learn from the Tianjin explosions and prevent other accidents.