August 12, 10:52 PM marks the beginning of a nightmare. Tanggu, a place unknown to many, has become known to all. Located south of Tianjin, Tanggu is the central area of Tianjin Binhai New District. On the night of August 12, a container at Tianjin Port containing hazardous cargo exploded into flames. The first explosion was followed by a second blast thirty seconds later. The warehouse, where the container was located, belongs to Ruihai International Logistics. It is now confirmed that the explosives were sodium cyanide and it is suspected that ammonium nitrate might have been present as well. The explosion was catastrophic; it is estimated that the destroying force of the blast is equal to 24 tons of TNT dynamite exploding. The damage was great. Thousands of imported cars were burned to scrap. Hospitals were flooded with the victims of the incident. All the windows and glasses in a 1.2 mile (2 km) radius were shattered by the blast. As of August 16, the total death toll had reached 112, leaving over 700 people injured (China News). Grief, fear, devastation, and anger pervade the Internet due to the lack of official information on the explosion. It was not until August 13, 3:52 AM that the first piece of information on the explosion was heard from officials (Tang Jiachen from Sina Column). The first videos on the explosion were spread through Moments on Wechat. Since then people have been demanding official information on casualties, an explanation for the cause of the explosion, and immediate updates on the rescue process. Information transparency not only helps prevent large-scale panic, but also acts as a great weapon against rumor and conspiracy theories. Social media sites such as Sina Weibo and governmental websites can also serve to provide news updates. A direct and immediate response is not just the government’s responsibility, but is also that of the press.The public has also been haunted by the astonishing number of firefighters killed during the explosion. According to Sina State News on August 17, authorities had lost contact with 85 fire fighters, with 12 now confirmed dead. And the number of the deceased is still rising. As we applaud and eulogize our heroes, we wonder why so many young lives were engulfed in the flame of fire: Were the firefighters the most suitable people to engage in the first place? Did they have the appropriate equipment to engage? Was there a problem with strategic deployment that led to the death of the fire fighters? This is not the time to move on, to bury the sadness in our memory and numb the pain. This is the time for reflection. This is the time to ask questions. This is the time to learn from the past. The challenges remain. How to deal with the contamination remains a challenge for environmentalists and scientists. How to smooth the economic impact of the explosion remains a challenge for the government. How to improve our emergency rescue plan so that we can react faster in future events remains a challenge for the administrators. How to help the broken families recover from the tragedy remains a challenge for the society. But whatever happens, whatever you need, Tianjin, we are always here for you. This article was written by Mengzhu Chen. Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: Google Maps