Beijing strengthens checks, reveals location of dangerous chemicals

BEIJING - Beijing strengthened safety checks on hazardous chemicals stored in the city after warehouse blasts rocked neighboring Tianjin last week, local authorities said.

Beijing is home to 2,536 businesses that handle harmful chemicals, including liquid ammonia, methane and liquid chlorine. They are mainly located in suburban districts such as Fangshan, Daxing and Tongzhou.

There are 49 enterprises that produce toxic chemicals in the city. They are located in all districts and counties except for Mentougou, Pinggu and Huairou.

A total of 2,487 companies buy and sell toxic chemicals, including 33 oil tanks, 1,030 gas stations, and 64 companies dealing with highly toxic chemicals.

The city government said it will take further measures to improve management of hazardous chemicals to ensure safety.

Last Wednesday night, two explosions ripped through a warehouse in Tianjin Municipality where hundreds of tonnes of toxic chemicals were stored, including roughly 700 tonnes of sodium cyanide. The death toll from the accident has risen to 114, with hundreds of people still in the hospital.