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Jun Mai

Authorities in Tianjin on Wednesday ruled out buying homes damaged by the shockwaves from last week’s explosions but said residents could still expect compensation.The refusal came as the number of homeowners protesting at the government press conferences doubled to about a hundred.  
Zong Guoying, the Communist Party chief of the Binhai New Area, where the disaster occurred, announced the decision. “The concept of buying back something refers to the action between two parties in a transaction,” Zong said.
Arrangements for compensation would be made after professional institutions had assessed the damage, he said.

A service centre had been set up to handle repairs, he added. But some homeowners insisted they would not move back. “No repairs! Buy our homes!” they shouted outside the venue where the briefings are being held.
Many of the protesters own homes in Harbour City, a residential complex about 600 metres from the storage facility run by Ruihai International Logistics that caught fire just before midnight on August 12.
Read more: 4 big questions Chinese people want answered following deadly Tianjin blasts
The shockwaves from the ensuing explosions – with the second equal to 21 tonnes of TNT – ripped windows out of walls, pulled doors off their hinges and slammed furniture up against walls. Beyond the immediate physical damage, residents are worried about the long-term health risks posed by the chemicals stored by Ruihai.
“I think they are shrugging off the responsibility,” said one owner surnamed Meng. “They are saying the government has no responsibility.
 

Watch: protests by angry Tianjin homeowners grow following deadly blasts 
“We won’t move back. They either need to buy our homes or settle us somewhere else,” he said.
They have demanded compensation and asked the government to buy back flats damaged in the blasts.

The homeowners said they feared the government would declare their homes safe once the repairs were completed, but some said they could not trust the authorities. “They are the ones that gave a pass to the warehouse,” a Harbour City resident said.  
“Can we believe them about the repair work?” he said. “The government has no credibility now.”
The owners only learned that repairs were under way after it was reported by state broadcaster CCTV.  

According to Xinhua, the initial investigation revealed that the blast damaged windows and doors in at least 17,500 homes.  By Monday more than 700 of these properties had undergone repairs.
The police have been accompanying small groups of residents back to their homes to pick up what is left of their belongings.
“Our home was there,” another Harbour City resident said. “Our children’s future was there. But now it’s unimaginable to move back, with the building damaged and the environment polluted.”


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Authorities in Tianjin rule out buying back flats damaged in explosions but homeowners standing firm 

Injured residents evacuated from their home after last week's blasts in Tianjin show a picture on their phone of their damaged property during Wednesday's protest rally. Photo: Reuters

Angry residents call for the government to buy their damaged homes during a protest rally in Tianjin on Wednesday. Photo: Simon Song

Residents evacuated from their homes after last week's deadly blasts in Tianjin take part in a protest rally in the city on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters

About 100 homeowners attended Wednesday's protest rally in Tianjin. Photo: AP

Mystery white foam and burns reported as rain falls at Tianjin blast site sparking fears of toxic reactions

A pictuer taken by Caixin shows the mystery white powder. 

Workers cover a monitoring station as rain begins to fall. Photo: Xinhua

Chinese safety inspectors gave Tianjin blasts warehouse 'the all-clear’

Smoke rises amid the devastation caused by the blasts in Tianjin.  Photo: SCMP Pictures

A military specialist in handling biochemical materials checks a flat near the centre of the blasts. Photo: Xinhua

A paramilitary policeman and a regular police officer stand guard in an area of the blasts site. Photo: Reuters

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Mourners pay respects at a ceremony in a Binhai New Area park. Photo: Xinhua

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