Nine firefighters confirmed dead - State television

Nine firefighters have been confirmed dead after two massive explosions tore through an industrial area in the northeast Chinese port city of Tianjin, state television said on Thursday.

State media reported earlier that the blasts late on Wednesday had killed at least 17 people and injured as many as 400. It was not immediately clear whether the nine firefighters were among the 17 people already reported dead.

The Beijing News reported earlier that authorities had lost contact with 36 firefighters at the scene of the blasts.