The latest updates coming in from the aftermath of the massive Tianjin, China bomb explosions are pointing to greater devastation than earlier anticipated.

The death toll which was intitially calculated as 17 has more than doubled in most recent reports which reveal that it is up to 44 now and several hundred have been injured.

Live updates from the Guardian reveal the true potency of the blast that took place at a warehouse in the northern port city. Even after 15 hours of the blasts some buildings are still up in flames according to the report. In fact the government has also ordered a stay on extinguishing the rest of the fire, as it needs chemical experts to ascertain what hazardous chemicals set the blasts off before going forward.

The sheer magnitude of this blast has been rather shocking. It took place just before midnight on August 12, when a shipment of explosives caught fire in the industrial area. A large swath of the area is charred and burnt to the ground and pictures speak of the devastation.

Yesterday, President XI Jinping reached out to the public and urged authorities to "make full effort to rescue and treat the injured and ensure the safety of people and their property."

The investigators are looking into the true cause of the massive blast, so that something like this never happens again. The blasts have definitely rocked the citizens of the Tianjin.

Watch a video of the blasts:

Tags: china Bomb Blasts