China explosion warehouse 'used connections' for hazardous materials permit

The son of a former police chief is one of two silent owners of the Chinese warehouse wrecked by explosions last week, and used his connections to help obtain licences despite the hazmat facility violating safety rules, Chinese state media said.

The other owner is a former executive at a state-owned chemical company who also used his connections to smooth the way for approval for the facility, the official Xinhua News Agency said in a report on warehouse company Ruihai International Logistics.