Beijing is the choice of destination for people displaced by the Tianjin chemical explosions. (Photo : www.chinanews.com)
Some Tianjin residents have decided to move to Beijing after the chemical explosions on Aug. 12 killed at least 116 people while injuring hundreds more.
A Want China Times report cited Baidu statistics showing heavy inflow of people to Beijing on Aug. 14-15, comprising a majority of Tianjin residents.
Beijing was the preferred destination, accounting for about 50 percent in the following three days after the explosions, in contrast to the 40 percent figure prior to the explosions.
After authorities were able to control the incident and stabilize the situation, Tianjin residents chose not to move to Langfang since it is in close proximity to the affected city.
The two explosions occurred at a hazardous chemical warehouse at the port of Tianjin and the cause was not immediately known, although initial reports indicated an industrial accident.
After the incident, Tianjin incurred a significant reduction in the number of cars and people in the commercial districts, while it gained an upsurge in the purchase of certain products to help cope with the aftermath.
Before Aug. 12, respirators and protective masks were uncommon among Tianjin residents, but from Aug. 14-16, approximately 55 percent of people from the city were demanding for respirators.
In the online search for products, searches for respirators jumped to 4,333 percent, while those for masks reached 543 percent.
According to Taobao statistics, from Aug. 11-13, orders from Tianjin for filters incurred an upsurge of 220 percent, while those for water additives reached 150 percent, exceeding other automotive peripheral products.
Tianjin residents were also seeking household air purifiers, which ranked first among Taobao's hot-sale home appliance items from Aug. 14-16.
China has ordered a nationwide check on dangerous chemicals and explosives to ensure proper safety measures are being implemented.
