China Death Toll Rises to 112 as Officials Admit Cyanide Storage

As many as 112 people have now officially been declared dead as a result of the blasts in the Chinese port city of Tianjin earlier this week.

An evacuation was triggered earlier over fears that cyanide had been found near the site of the explosion. The reports have now been confirmed, the BBC says.

More than 720 people have been taken to hospital.

Sodium cyanide, which is highly toxic, was apparently found east of the blast site. The presence of other dangerous substances such as calcium carbide had earlier been confirmed.

The death toll could increase further as about 95 people (85 of them firefighters) are declared missing as of Sunday evening (local time), according to Xinhua news agency.

State-run media in China on Sunday officially revealed that 700 tonnes of cyanide had been stored in the warehouse - some 70 times above what should have been to observe safety rules.

This week's explosions in Tianjin are now considered to be among the worst similar incidents in human history.