Pope Francis has expressed his condolences to the victims of the tragic explosion that occurred in Tianjian, located in northern China.
On Wednesday night, a fire began at a Ruihai Logistics warehouse, which contained various hazardous chemicals. Firefighters, who were unaware of the dangerous reaction of water to the toxic chemicals, inadvertently caused a chain reaction of massive explosions.
The death toll of the explosions, as of now, has reached 112, with 95 people still missing, and hundreds more injured.
Investigators believe that poor record keeping, as well as several major discrepancies left authorities unable to identify the dangerous substances that were stored in the warehouse.
Following his Angelus address on the Feast of the Assumption on Saturday, the Holy Father conveyed his thoughts and prayers to the victims of the tragic explosion.
“I assure my prayers for those who have lost their lives and for all those who are suffering from this disaster,” he said.
“May the Lord give them comfort and support to all those engaged in relieving their suffering.”
According to Vatican news blog, Il Sismografo, Chinese television broadcasted the Holy Father’s words on the explosion. Italian journalists in Peking noted that the broadcasting of the Pope’s message was “an important gesture” and unprecedented in nature.
