Subjected to More Toxic Statements

Two rabbits in a small cage are subjected to toxic air in the Tianjin blast site

Tonight there were explosions in Zibo city, Shandong that are 1km from residential areas -- eerily reminiscent of the Tianjin blasts over a week ago.

There are scant details at the time of writing, except eight people are injured so far and similar images of fireball explosions...

A pair of pigeons are also there to prove the air is "OK"

There's been a lot of talk in China about how faith in the Chinese government has sunk to an all-time low.

But wait! The government can prove the air is safe to breathe because animals were exposed to it for a couple of hours today.

Following the advice of experts with the rescue operation effort, soldiers from the PLA Beijing military command area laid down cages containing rabbits, chickens and pigeons in the site of the explosions.

Looking at the picture of the two rabbits, they barely have enough room to sit side by side in the cramped cage.

Tianjin Deputy Mayor He Shushan says at least 700 tonnes of sodium cyanide were stored with other dangerous goods on the warehouse site owned by Ruihai International Logistics.

Rescuers and investigators on the site wear protective gear

The animals contrast with investigators and rescue workers who are wearing chemical protection suits.

What is the point of putting these animals deliberately in harm's way? If they weren't caged up, surely they would have fled the area? Animal welfare groups are probably going to blast the government for purposely endangering these animals' lives.

Yet another wrong public relations move...

Oh and the thousands of dead fish in the nearby River Hai? Tianjin officials said the mass fish deaths were caused by regular seasonal low oxygen levels in the water.

They claimed tests from three different spots at the river did not show high levels of cyanide or sulfide.

Why have thousands of fish washed up in the nearby river?

But a report from the Tianjin Environmental Protection Bureau showed that tests taken of the water the day before showed cyanide levels in the river, sea and waste water in the evacuated area around the explosion site had risen rapidly, with one area reporting cyanide levels 277 times above acceptable levels.

So who's telling the truth?