China detains 11 over Tianjin explosion

The national prosecutor’s office said on Thursday that they were accused of dereliction of duty and abusing their positions resulting in the blast that killed at least 121 people.

In this combination of file images of August 12, 2015, taken from video provided by Dan Van Duren, the warehouse explosion in Tianjin, China, is seen as filmed from a nearby residential building. Chinese prosecutors have detained 11 people over the massive explosion that killed at least 121 people, the national prosecutor’s office said in a notice in Beijing on Thursday.

Chinese prosecutors have detained 11 people over a massive warehouse explosion that killed at least 121 people.

The national prosecutor’s office said in a notice on Thursday that those held include current and retired officials in the port city of Tianjin, along with others working for the company that runs the port, the largest in northern China.

Dereliction of duty

It says they are accused of dereliction of duty and abusing their positions.

The investigation has so far focused on how the warehouse’s owner, Ruihai Logistics, was able to gain permission to handle dangerous chemicals despite being located inside a legally-mandated 1,000-meter (1,000-yard) buffer zone from homes and roads.

Police have already detained 12 Ruihai employees as part of their investigation and are also looking into a company suspected of providing bogus safety assessments.