“The Secretary-General extends his condolences to the families of the victims, including the fire fighters who made the ultimate sacrifice,” said a statement issued by Ban’s spokesperson in New York.

According to news reports, the deadly blast occurred in a warehouse district of the northern Chinese port cityWednesday night local time.

Expressing his sympathies to the people and Government of China, the UN chief pays tribute to all involved in the emergency response.

 Photo: World Bank/Yang Aijun