Fresh blaze at Tianjin warehouse, toll rises to 85

Specialists probing the accident believe sodium cyanide might have been stored at blast site

A fresh blaze erupted on Saturday in a warehouse in China's Tianjin city that was destroyed by an explosion that claimed 85 lives, the authorities said.

Flames were seen at 11.40 a.m., while witnesses heard several blasts, Xinhua news agency reported.

Dense smoke could be also be seen at the site.

Meanwhile, a man in his 50s was also rescued from the blasts site earlier in the day.

Specialised anti-chemical soldiers found him 50 metres away from the explosion's epicentre.

The man was conscious and could talk when rescued. He suffered from respiratory tract burn but was in a stable condition after emergency treatment, a doctor said.

A 70-member team of specialised anti-chemical soldiers entered the area to search for possible survivors.

Specialists investigating the explosion believe sodium cyanide might have been stored at the site.

Gao Huaiyou, vice head of the Tianjin bureau of work safety, said that chemicals stored in the warehouse possibly include sodium cyanide, but further confirmation is needed. The containers were not open, and some were not even registered.

Some other dangerous chemicals likely to be stored include potassium nitrate and ammonium nitrate.

Two explosions, 30 seconds apart, rocked the Binhai New Area of eastern Tianjin late Wednesday.

The initial blaze broke out at Tianjin Dongjiang Port Ruihai International Logistics warehouse, which deals with compressed gas, flammable liquid and toxic chemicals -- some of which become highly explosive when mixed with water.

The blasts have injured over 700 people so far.