Two explosions rocked the northern Chinese city of Tianjin late Wednesday, local time, killing dozens of people. The first blast happened at 11:30 p.m., followed by a second explosion just 30 seconds later. The official Xinhua News agency says the death toll has risen to 44, 12 of them firefighters. Reports claim the explosion was caused by gas but that has yet to be confirmed.

The incident took place in the city of Tianjin, a port around 90 miles south east of Beijing. Several buildings near the site collapsed, automobiles caught fire, and nearby residents were being evacuated from the immediate area, authorities said.

Tianjin Explosion Caused by Combustible and Explosive Goods in Container:

The explosion was so powerful it could be felt several hundred kilometres away in Hubei province and has even been seen from space, with a giant mushroom cloud visible from the ground. Reports from state-run media said the explosion had ripped through a warehouse storing “dangerous goods”.

Shocking images began appearing on social media soon after the blast, with some of the survivors of the blast pictured covered in blood.

The explosion also caused doors to blow off from their frames in nearby apartment buildings and it was even visible from space, with a satellite picking up the fire as it crossed over China.

Watch: Video of Tianjin Binhai (China) Serious Explosion

It is not yet known what caused the explosion, but videos from the scene show a dramatic fireball exploding near the site of a fire.

“I was sleeping when our windows and doors suddenly shook as we heard explosions outside. I first thought it was an earthquake,” Guan Xiang, who lives 7 km (4 miles) away from the explosion site, told Reuters by telephone.

“It was like what we were told a nuclear bomb would be like,” said truck driver Zhao Zhencheng, who spent the night in the cab of his truck. “I’ve never even thought I’d see such a thing. It was terrifying but also beautiful.”

Firefighters missing:

The state-run Beijing News earlier cited Tianjin fire authorities as saying they had lost contact with 36 firefighters, and that another 33 were among the hundreds of people being treated in nearby hospitals.

The official Xinhua news agency said 1,000 firefighters and more than 140 fire engines were struggling to contain a blaze in a warehouse that contained “dangerous goods”.

Industrial accidents are not uncommon in China following three decades of breakneck economic growth. A blast at an auto parts factory in eastern China killed 75 people a year ago when a room filled with metal dust exploded.