Death toll from Tianjin explosions reaches 139, company execs arrested

TIANJIN, China, Aug. 26 (UPI) -- Officials on Wednesday pushed the death toll from the massive explosions in Tianjin, China, two weeks ago to nearly 150.

Wednesday, Chinese authorities said 139 people have died as a result of the powerful blasts that registered magnitudes of 2.3 and 2.9 on Aug. 12. The fiery explosions were captured on video by numerous witnesses and posted to the Internet.

Tuesday, officials reported 134 dead and 38 missing. Wednesday's update places four from the missing list onto the dead list. Officials said 34 remain unaccounted for.

Investigators have identified the 84 firefighters, eight policemen and 47 civilians who died as a result of the blasts. Of the missing, 20 more are firefighters, three are policemen and 11 civilians, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

In all, 527 remain hospitalized -- 34 in serious condition -- and 272 have been released.

Additionally, a dozen company officials have been arrested for allegedly playing a role in the explosions, ITV reported Wednesday. They reportedly include the chairman, vice-chairman and three deputy general managers at the company where the explosions occurred.

Investigators have said large amounts of toxic chemicals had been stored there, which is located in a warehouse district of Tianjin.

One of the chemicals stored in the warehouse, sodium cyanide, has since been detected in some water levels near the site of the explosion, Xinhua reported.