Tianjin fire department have confirmed that at least 11 firefighters have been killed, with another 30 still missing, as they were hit by secondary blasts during the rescue operation in the explosions at the warehouses of Tianjin port on Thursday.
President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang have urged all-out efforts to save the injured and minimize casualties in the Tianjin blasts.
Huge explosions hit an industrial area in northern Chinese port city of Tianjin late on Wednesday, triggering a blast wave felt kilometres away.
Two firefighters were "out of contact" and another four injured as of 3:00 a.m. Thursday after an explosion rocked a warehouse in north China's Tianjin, according to police authority.
An explosion ripped through a warehouse storing "dangerous goods" in north China's Tianjin city late Wednesday night, injuring at least 50 people.