Official claims no relocation order issued in Tianjin

No evacuation order has been issued to people living in a three-kilometer radius near the blasts site in Tianjin, said an official on Saturday.

People living near the explosion scene were reportedly to be asked to leave the area as experts in hazardous materials prepare to deal with sodium cyanide, a chemical that turns highly dangerous when it contacts liquid.

It reported that some of the residents taking shelter at a primary school at the industrial zone were relocated on Saturday morning.

"No relocation has been ordered. It is a rumor," said spokesperson Gong Jiansheng at a press conference on Saturday afternoon. "We'll definitely inform the citizens if we have such a plan."

700 tons of sodium cyanide, owned by a company from Hebei province, was reportedly stored at the explosion site.

Gong didn't comment on sodium cyanide at the press conference.