UPDATE, 4:15 P.M.:
The recent explosion in the Chinese city of Tianjin has been attributed to a shipment of explosives that suddenly burst into flames.
Hundreds of people were allegedly caught in the explosion, and about 300 to 400 people were checked into a local hospital, according to an unnamed medic who was at the scene. Some were brought by ambulances, but most arrived on their own after emergency numbers were overwhelmed with calls.
Seven people have been reported dead from the explosion so far, according to China's People's Daily newspaper.
An employee of another hospital also said the emergency department was full, and staff are trying to contact all their doctors, Chinese newspaper The Beijing News reported.
"The hospital cannot count how many patients we have received - there are too many of them and many of them have burn injuries," said one doctor at another hospital, who had been called back from a conference in Beijing to treat the injured.
Six firefighting teams were sent to the site and had allegedly lost contact with two people fighting the fire. Six others were being treated for minor injuries.
--
The Chinese city of Tianjin was recently rocked by a giant explosion.
The explosion reportedly occured at the Tianjin Binhai New Development Zone around 15:30 GMT, leaving several nearby towers blocks without power.
Pictures and video footage shared on social media suggest that several people may have been wounded by the blast, however it's unclear how many.
The cause of the explosion is still unknown, and an investigation is underway.
Tianjin is a major port and industrial area to the south-east of Beijing.
