Flying shards highlight lack of required safety glass in buildings

Residents say the massive blasts at a chemical warehouse in Tianjin highlighted the lack of enforcement of a national law that requires the use of tempered safety glass in many residential and public buildings.

Windows and glass doors of nearby businesses and residential complexes shattered during the explosions and in the ensuing shock waves, sending sharp shards of glass into the paths of fleeing families.

"The explosion affected our power supply and we had a blackout," said Zhang Ying, 33.