On July 28, many people in the Tianjin-Binhai area in China suspected a toxic leak. After breathing the fumes, they felt uncomfortable and itchy, and their skin hardened. The local government then announced that the armed police were training on how to use live ammunition. Netizens exclaimed: Armed police test gas bombs? ! Against whom?
The video posted by netizens shows the air outside is cloudy, like a floating fog. Everyone in the room was coughing. The man recording the video said: “This is Asymchem Lab. The workers were all affected after the incident. I felt like all my strength was gone. I don’t know if there was any gas leak. I can’t breathe. They’re all coughing.”
According to Reuters, Asymchem Lab is a China-based company primarily engaged in contract development and manufacturing company (CDMO). The Company’s principal business is to develop the process, amplification, and commercialization of chemical drugs.
Many communities in Binhai New Area also issued notices to residents reporting a suspected toxic gas leak. Still, there has not been any official announcement from relevant agencies or authorities.
According to official Chinese media reports, on July 28, the government of the Tianjin-Binhai Area issued an official announcement, stating that the armed police force in the nearby area regularly organizes live ammunition training, along with unfavorable diffusion conditions due to low air pressure, and its smell is not harmful to people.
But local netizens did not believe the government’s official statement and raised questions.
People wrote in the comment section on China’s NetEase: “Is such a cough harmless?”; “Is this to prepare for illegal gatherings?”; “practice throwing grenades in economic development zones, densely populated areas?”; “Who are armed police trained to deal with?”; “Training with live ammunition that it can cover the whole city like this; this gas bomb is so dangerous. What brand is it?”; “Training by throwing it in a populated area? Why don’t you throw it in your own house?”; “Is this tear gas used to suppress riots?”
Sound of Hope quoted some comments: “The government says there is no harm to the human body; why are they still coughing and feeling uncomfortable? I really don’t understand, weren’t the last few days of training sunny? The air pressure was not high, was it? Does the government say that training armed police means training armed police? If the government says it is non-toxic, so it is non-toxic? So let’s have some proof. I don’t believe it anyway.”
After news of a strange smell in the Tianjin Binhai Area was posted on Weibo, residents commented that it was like a poisonous gas bomb visible to the naked eye. They wrote:
“What is the reason for the toxic gas leak in the Tianjin Binhai area !? People are suffocating to death.”
“I’m staying at the University of Science and Technology. An unknown gas leaked. I even wore an N95 mask into the campus laboratory but still had a dry cough, and a sore throat! Government and the fire department should quickly investigate. It’s been so long without any announcement, what kind of gas is this? !! “.
“Toxic gas in Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area, I have already been infected. No wonder why I suddenly had chest tightness, sore throat and numbness of the tip of my tongue.”
Some netizens questioned whether armed police were testing petrol bombs:
“Is this bringing all the tear gas in the Tianjin arsenal to practice throwing? How can it have such a big impact, floating in the entire economic development zone, Beitang, Eco- City…”
“No way, the military and militia forces participate in live-ammunition training a lot, but not like this. Unless this is biological weapons training. People in Xingang are coughing.”
