Locals put damaged lives back together

Chen Yumei finally received the call she had been waiting for: Her 20-year-old son had recovered consciousness after being injured during the devastating explosions that shook Tianjin late Wednesday night.

The 45-year-old said two blasts several minutes apart blew away the iron door of her apartment on the 19th floor of her building, causing a bedroom cabinet to fall on her son's head.

Rescuers took him to Tianjin Port Hospital, but it was overflowing with injured people, so she managed to send him to Huanhu Hospital downtown.