ian williams, nbc news, tianjin. >> ian williams will have a live report tonight on "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. the fire still smoldering as officials search for the trigger of that blast, tonight at 6:30. >>> imagine being a teenager, spending your summer working all day, and then not getting paid. >> this is apparently what happened to hundreds of teens for not one, but two summers, they rk worked at places like jones beach and citi field, so what happened to their money? >> reporter: we allege that these defendants stole from at-risk teenagers, who did hard wo rk for many hours, for little or no pay. >> reporter: according to court documents, the herron foundation was incorporated by welton herron as a nonprofit focused on helping students in impoverished communities. over the last two years, prosecutors say herron and owens offered summer jobs to more than 100 students from fre freeport, brentwood, and huntington high schools, as well as schools in other cities. prosecutors say they promised the students $9 an hour to work at concession stands, at nikon jones beach theate

nbc's ian williams is there and has more on this unfolding disaster. >> reporter: it's a scene of utter devastation. fires still burning, smoke still rising, more than 24 hours after this. new video shows the first blast light up the sky over tianjin followed by a far more powerful explosion captured on cell phone from a nearby apartment building until a photographer retreats in terror. among the american eyewitnesss, english teacher drew. >> all of a sudden there is a loud, like a shockwave sound. the first thing people thought it was was an earthquake. >> reporter: daybreak revealed what looked like a post-apocalyptic wasteland. shipping containers scattered, broken glass and debris everywhere. the death toll is now past 50. dozens are still missing. 1,000 firefighters responded to the blaze, at least 12 died. hospitals are overwhelmed with the injured, hundreds of them desperate for medical care but beds were in short supply. the cause of the blast is still unknown. it happened at a company that stored hazardous chemicals including sodium cyanide, raising fears of an ongoing toxic th

ian williams, nbc news, seoul. >>> a lot more to tell you about here. still ahead tonight, breaking the habit. how a family of five successfully did what so many people are finding impossible right now. cutting the sugar. and later, a family of a different kind cooling off on a hot summer day. >> there's bears in the pool! >> there sure are. imagine seeing this in your back yard. >>> we've heard a lot this summer about americans trying to dramatically cut back on sugar and just how hard it is to do. but tonight you're going to meet the one family of five that did it together. our national correspondent kate snow reports on their big challenge. >> reporter: for deirdre diggins dinner-time used to mean a crazy rush to get some food in her teenagers. >> i'd be throwing food in my mouth and heading out. i was tired of the food preparation. and i think a lot of moms feel that way. >> reporter: but after her youngest was diagnosed with diabetes she reached out to nutritionist terry rhodes for help, starting with the pantry. >> i'd just take it out and say hav

ian williams has our report. >> reporter: it was a direct hit on taiwan. typhoon making landfall early saturday, packing winds that topped 100 miles per hour. the monster storm dumped four feet of rain in some places triggering flash floods and landslides, cutting power to 3 million at the height of the storm. thousands of troops and emergency workers were deployed. this fire crew rescued residents trapped by a surging river. while this woman is desperate to reach friends in a village cut off by the surging mud and rocks. there are reports of an entire village swept away by early evacuations spared lives. taiwan was in lockdown when the storm struck. the eye passing to the south of the capital taipei. this is a fast-moving storm. it will quickly move across the island and out towards mainland china. people began to venture cautiously outside to assess the damage. downtown taipei is now littered with uprooted trees, torn from the ground by the sheer force of the storm. the wind was still gusting powerfully. taiwan is used to typhoons but rarely of this stre

nbc's ian williams is there. >> reporter: amid the smoldering debris it's hard to imagine anyone survivedt today rescue workers found 19-year-old firefighter zho ti, badly injured but alive. he was rushed to the hospital. he's expected to recover. others were not so lucky. at least 21 firefighters were killed in the blast. more than a third of all fatalities and a dozen still missing. people today posted flyers, trying to find missing loved ones. the blast was captured on video by american dan van doren. he thought he was going to die. >> it was just monumental. i thought it was a small nuclear bomb. i thought it was a nuclear bomb going off in my face. that's what it looked like. >> reporter: and this surfaced today, a dash cam video showing the blast and its powerful shock waves. it's at a warehouse complex owned by a company called ruihai logistics. dangerously, perhaps illegally close to apartment towers on a busy highway. drone footage shows apartment buildings heavily damaged. there is speculation the explosion may have been inadvertently caused by firefighters spraying water on vol

nbc's ian williams is there. >> reporter: the mystery centers on the man in the yellow t-shirt. police say he's not just a suspect, he's the bomber. but who is he? chilling security camera video shows him entering the shrine unnoticed, sitting next to a young woman, and casually slipping off his backpack. he then stands amid his victims, takes a picture, and walks away, leaving the backpack behind. >> after that three minutes, a bomb. >> reporter: the explosion, captured in new cell phone video, killed at least 22 people. today bangkok escaped further bloodshed. a device exploding in the water near a river pier, similar to but smaller than yesterday's bomb. police say it was thrown from a bridge, targeting commuters. "it sounded like a car starting. then i saw smoke and an explosion," this man said. bangkok is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. but the city is on edge, security tight, police warning visitors to remain vigilant. >> i'm okay, but it's very scary. >> reporter: thailand has seen political violence in recent years, but not like this. not in th

>> all right, ian williams.hank you very much. >>> and when "nightly news" continues on this saturday, putting a price on years lost for those who were wrongly convicted. >>> they paid a huge price for crimes they did not commit. so far this year, 75 wrongly convicted inmates have been released from prison, a record pace as part of a growing trend across this country. but can any amount of money make up for years behind bars? for almost 20 years, he was inmate number 501130. sabine burgess was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his girlfriend, michelle dyson, in his baltimore home. >> i love michelle. i didn't kill her. >> reporter: burgess insisted he came home one night and found michelle dying of gunshot wounds to the head. >> reporter: when they charged you with murder, what do you think? >> i couldn't believe it. i thought a mistake. >> reporter: the tests showed that you fired a gun. >> that's what they said. >> reporter: did you fire a gun? >> no, sir, i didn't fire no gun. >> reporter: you tol

ian williams, nbc news, seoul. >>> a lot more to tell you about here. still ahead tonight, breaking the habit. how a family of five successfully did what so many people are finding impossible right now. cutting the sugar. and later, a family of a different kind cooling off on a hot summer day. >> there's bears in the pool! >> there sure are. imagine seeing this in your back yard. we live in a pick and choose world. choose, choose, choose. but at bedtime? ...why settle for this? enter sleep number... right now all beds are on sale. sleepiq technology tells you how well you slept and what adjustments you can make. you like the bed soft. he's more hardcore. so your sleep goes from good to great to wow! only at a sleep number store. the time is now for the biggest sale of the year, where all beds are on sale! save 50% on the labor day limited edition bed. save 50% on the labor day limited edition bed. know better sleep with sleep number. in study after study, advil is unsurpassed in pain relief. nothing is proven stronger on aches and pains than advil. not

ian williams, thank you. we appreciate coming up, the qu about the vice president presidential 2016 run. with heard a short time ago the pr and vice president were still having lunch concerning a possible presidential run. >>> and we see a shift where the market has dropped down to a negative 15. now we've watched an early selloff of a thousand points. it's bounced back a bit but it's a manic day on wall street. we'll cover that after this. moms know their family's mouths often need a helping hand. after brushing, listerine® total care helps prevent cavities, strengthens teeth and restores tooth enamel. it's an easy way to give listerine® total care to the total family. listerine® total care. one bottle, six benefits. power to your mouth™. and for kids starting at age six, listerine® smart rinse delivers extra cavity protection after brushing. it's a good looking car. ? this is the model rear end event. the model year end sales event. it's year end! it's the rear end event. year end, rear end, check it out. t

ian williams filed this report just before he left. >> reporter: at least one piece of good news today. a 19-year-old firefighter pulled out alive. nobody expected that. at the same time, a team of biochemical specialists has arrived with officials add mitting they don't really know precisely what deadly toxins they're dealing with. the fire raged on this morning. thick black smoke in the tianjin sky. today, pulling out a live one of their colleagues. more than 20 firefighters died in the blast. and 13 are still missing. officials say firefighters themselves may have triggered the blasts by hosing water on an niche fire in a warehouse containing the volatile chemical calcium carbide. that triggered the first blast which moments later triggered the following explosions as other chemicaling caught fire. american dan van durn continued to film. >> let's go! let's go down! >> reporter: he told me he thought they were going the die. >> i thought it was a nuclear bomb going off in my face. that's what it looked like. >> reporter: officials have tried to reassure nervous residents that pollut

ian williams, nbc news, tianjin. >>> well, outrage in oakland today. protesters shut down a freeway after oakland police shot and killed a suspected carjacker. protesters blocked traffic altogether on 980 and at 27th and martin luther king jr. last night. earlier in the day, officers shot and killed a 24-year-old man at that location. it all started when an officer tried to stop a car that was involved in a july armed robbery and the driver took off and collided with another car on 27th. a police helicopter pilot spotted the man attempting an armed carjacking. when that didn't work, the suspect ran. three officers confronted him and ordered him to drop his gun. >> the suspect at that point actually advanced towards the officers, while holding a pistol in his hand. the three officers then fired at the suspect. >> i don't believe the officer's life was in jeopardy like that, to where you have to shoot a person, you know, to kill him. >> police say all three officers fired their weapons. those officers were wearing body cameras that were rolling at the ti

ian williams, nbc news, near the dmz. >>> the cape may post office is saluting the coast guard's 225th anniversary by dedicating a new forever stamp featuring a tall ship and helicopter. you can see the new stamp here at the coast guard training center in cape may. it's the fifth largest base in the country. a fun fact, everyone who trains to be in the coast guard starts out in cape may. >>> eagles and nascar not usually two sports you think of together. >> tonight, a bird is flying in a race car. the wild ride later on "nbc 10 news at 5:00." >>> then all new on "nbc 10 news at 6:00" uncovered at the airport. a valuable and illegal find at philadelphia international. not on a plane but rather hidden in a book. >>> today the fbi is hoping a big cash reward will help solve the murder of a delaware teenager. there is $30,000 waiting for someone to claim. the case unfolded almost two years ago. >> investigators say someone should know who is responsible. nbc 10's delaware bureau reporter tim furlong spoke to the fbi and the family of the victim. >> reporter: late december 2013, wayne and c

nbc's ian williams is in tianjin with the investigation and the recovery. >> reporter: the fire raged on this morning, thick, black smoke billowing into the tianjin sky. hundreds of firefighters are batting the inferno, today, pulling out alive one of their colleagues treated in a nearby hospital. more than 20 firefighters died in the blast and 13 are still missing. officials say firefighters themselves may have triggered the blasts by hosing water on an initial fire in a warehouse containing the volatile chemical, calcium carbide. that triggered the first blast, which moments later, sparked the second, bigger explosion. as other chemicals caught fire, captured in this cell phone video, shot by an american. he continued to film until it became too terrifying. >> let's go! let's go down. >> reporter: he told me he thought they were going to die. >> it was just monumental. i thought it was a nuclear bomb going off in my face, what it looked like. >> reporter: official have tried to reassure nervous residents that pollution levels are normal while admitting they really don't know what to

nbc's ian williams has more from t ir tiangen. >> reporter: at least some comforting news this morninga teenager pulled out alive. nobody expected that. biochemists have now arrived, saying they don't precisely know what toxins they're dealing with. the fire rajd ged on this morni thick, black smoke bill lowibil into the sky. more than 20 died in the blast and 13 are still missing. officials say firefighters themselves may have triggered the blast by hosing water on an initial fire in the warehouse containing t ining a chemical. that fired an explosion, and later a bigger explosion. caught in this cell phone video. he continued to film until it became too terrifying. >> let's go down! >> he told me he thought they were going to die. >> it was just monumental. that was a nuclear bomb going off in my face. that's what it looked like. >> reporter: officials have tried to reassure nervous residents that pollutions are normal, while admitting they don't know what toxins are in the air. they told people to move out of apartments in the site and move to shelters. police have now cordoned off

. >> nbc's ian williams is along the zone in south korea. >> this is one of the shelters.t's a pretty heavy door. after the exchange of artillery last night about 60 people in local villages were ordered here, around 40 of them staying overnight. some did manage to return home today, but they've been told to come back here with tensions rising this evening across the border area. north korea sits just over the hills behind me. there are lots of reasons why this is a pretty scary border area, but what's most rattled kim jong-un 11 vast installations of loud speakers, which over the last few days have begun broadcasting propaganda into the north. he doesn't like that. he's called that an act of war. the reason the south restarted this propaganda operation after a break of 11 years is a minor attack which badly injured two south korean soldiers just a few days ago. kim jong-un doesn't like it. that's what led to the firing of shells into the south yesterday to which the south replied. we're now close to the southern edge of the demilitarized zone, this sign warning against go

ian williams is near the south korea border. what can you tell us about these talks? >> reporter: good morning. those talks are about two miles up the street behind me. very high level, now into their third hour which in itself is remarkable. the north hasn't walked out which they have frequently done in the past. what's so significant is the level taking part in these talks. advisers of kim jong-un, officials here in the south. significant as well is appears these talks were initially at the request of the north late friday. the south said yes -- that we can do business with. that appears to have -- those talks are ongoing. this border area remains very tense. villages have been evacuated. they are in shelters tonight, bomb proof shelters. we drove down roads lined with heavy artillery in the south, ready. equally of course, north korea, kim jong-un said his army is in a quasi state of war. to unleash them if the south doesn't stop these broadcasts which they have said of course that they won't, dara. >> ian williams reporting from south korea. we apologize for the a

nbc correspondent ian williams joins us now by phone. and, ian, what's the latest?there's no clear end in sight right now for this standoff. >> reporter: well, we think they have a deal, luke. the latest we're hearing at the end of these three days of marathon talks is that they have come up with some sort of deal. we don't know what is in that deal. it may well be an expression of regret. it may be a bit of a farce. but it seems they have come up with some sort of agreement, and the national security adviser is on his way back from the dmv now and they are promising to make a statement we hope within the next hour. now, as you say, this has been an incredibly tense two or three days. even today we saw the south korean president talking past, demanding an apology from the north over the land mine incident and saying those propaganda broadcasts into the north would not be stopped until that apology was forthcoming. at the same time the north, of course, saying and threatening continually to take out the speakers that were making those broadcasts into the north. all t

. >> coming up on "nightly news" at 6:30, our ian williams is in china near the set of that enormous explosion. the pictures of the devastation out of there are stunning. is california being setting up for a vicious one-two punch as the western fire season ramps up to its highest alert, there are warning of mud slides to come down the road from powerful el nino-fueled rains. and we look at what's behind the rapid rise of prescription drug prices when we see you tonight for "nightly news." >>> we have new information tonight on that partial ceiling collapse inside a famous minneapolis nightclub. officials say there's a structural engineer on site at the venue called first avenue where the rest of the ceiling will be removed. a huge chunk fell on to a crowd during a concert injuring three people last night. inspectors believe it is the original ceiling from 1936, when the venue was built. >> it's not uncommon for a building of this age to have a plaster and lath assembly for a ceiling. gypsum board was not really in existence when they built this building, or commonly used. >> official

joining me now is nbc's ian williams. >> reporter: it is nighttime in bangkok after a very tense dayn the capitol. a man hunt is now under way. a attempt to locate a suspect caught by surveillance cameras at the erawan shrine just minutes before the bomb exploded last night causing such carnage. this man wearing a yellow tee shirt is shown coming into the shrine wearing a heavy backpack. he sits down. methodically, almost chillingly takes off the backpack, leaves it. stands up and then another security camera films him leaving the shrine. security sources say they believe the bomb went off very close to where he left that backpack. so they are very eager to talk to him. very keen to locate this man and a big search is under way tonight. at the same time we saw a second explosion here in bangkok today. much smaller and thankfully without injury. what appears to have happened is somebody threw a small explosive device from a bridge towards a pier which sits on the big river that runs through the city. the pier services water taxis which run up and down the river, it missed the pier tha

nbc's ian williams is there. >> reporter: it's a scene of utter devastation. fires still burning, smoke still rising, more than 24 hours after this. new video shows the first blast light up the sky over tianjin followed by a far more powerful explosion captured on cell phone from a nearby apartment building until a photographer retreats in terror. among the american eyewitnesss, english teacher drew. >> all of a sudden there is a loud, like a shock wave sound. the first thing people thought it was was an earthquake. >> reporter: daybreak looked like a post apocalypse waste land. shipping containers scattered, broken glass and debris everywhere. the death toll is now past 50. dozens are still missing. 1,000 firefighters responded to the

. >> some tough weather there for ian williams reporting from taiwan where a damaging typhoon just swept through. take a look. winds about 100 miles an hour even damaged buildings. the rains washed away cars and roads. you can see some rescues underway. at least six people are reportedly dead. thousands of troops and rescue workers were deployed to help out. many will to pull people trapped by flash floods. some incredible pictures there coming in. the storm is dying down giving many the chances to start the clean-up. however, 3 million people are without power. >>> now to decision 2016 where gop presidential candidate donald trump continues to make waves through his own party. this a day after the presidential debate. the organizer of the red state gathering said they have rescinded the invitation to mr. trump after his comments to megyn kelly. he suggested she was hormonal and asking tough questions during the debate. >> you can see there was blood coming out of her eyes. blood coming out of her -- wherever. but she was, in my opinion, she was off base. >> trump's campaign says they di

. >> ian williams in china, thank you. >>> in this country, warnings tonight of a one-two punch from nature that could devastate parts of the west already in the midst of a historic drought emergency. today fire officials raised the threat level to the highest fire danger possible, and that move comes as forecasters warned of what's being called a godzilla el nino event this winter that could trigger storms we haven't seen in decades. >> reporter: this is what they call level five. the highest fire danger rating in the nation triggered today. signals tinderbox. this year of extremes feeding on each other, fired by crippling drought compasser baited by a heat wave and the forecast calls for a monster el nino this winter, storms capable of triggering floods, mudslides and more. >> we had late spring rains and conditions firefighters have never seen. >> reporter: for now, the biggest threat on the fire lines. this year already proving historic. nearly 40,000 fire torching 6.4 million acres. firefighters from every state mobilized and moving west. today the forest service launching two c

ian williams reports from the capital taipei where high winds are battering the city. >> reporter: taiwan is tonight bracing itself for a direct hit from the most powerful typhoon to strike this island for more than two years. already here in the capital, taipei, the winds are strengthening, the rain is getting heavier. since this afternoon, highways have been closed, air and rail services have been suspended. now this typhoon has reduced slightly in strength as it's come across the pacific. but it still packs a powerful punk punch with winds up to 120 miles per hour. now, it's expected to make landfall in the early hours of saturday morning, and the eye of the storm will pass, we think, just to the south of the capital here. it is a fast-moving storm. it will move quickly across taiwan, moving on towards china by the end of saturday. that does give a blessing in disguise, because it means that there will e less rainfall and that will lessen the chance of deadly landslides. but that will come -- in monstrous monstrous. nbc news, taipei. >> our hearts go out to people there. our weekend is

nbc's ian williams and his team evacuated that scene. he joins us from beijing. d morning, ian. >> reporter: good morning, erica. the authorities ordered evacuation of everybody within 1.8 miles of the blast area. they are afraid of chemical contamination. this follows reports that police have found a large stack of sodium cyanide, which is a particular volatile and toxic chemical. it also underlines the fact they don't know what they are dealing with. officials have said at this point, they don't know what dangerous cocktail of chemicals were in the warehouse that exploded. and today an alarm with fresh explosions and fresh fires. this appears to be cars bursting into flames and not chemical explosion. another survivor today. this person, 56 years old, was found in the wreckage of the shipping container. he was taken to hospital with severe respiratory burns. many firefighters died in the blast, 21, many are injured. we saw a protest today as relatives of fire workers demanded more answers. erica. >> scary stuff. ian williams, i appreciate the update. >>> sheinel

ian williams is there. ian, good morning. >> good morning, jose.suspect spotted on surveillance video just moments before the bomb exploded monday evening. now, this man dressed in a yellow t-shirt is seen entering the area of the erawan shrine. he sits down, and chillingly, in a very methodical, casual way, he takes off a backpack and leaves it down by the fence. another shot of the video shows him leaving the shrine. the spot where he left that backpack is precisely where that bomb exploded, causing such carnage yesterday evening. so they do believe this is a very important breakthrough, and they do urgently need to find this person in the yellow t-shirt. at the same time, we did have a second attempt at bombing today. the deputy police chief told me they're trying to look for linkages between the two events. today's bombing happened down on the river, the river of kings that runs through this city. it appears to have been an attempt to throw a small explosive device onto a pier which services water taxis that run up and down the river. it missed

. >> ian williams, thank you very much. when "nightly news" continues on this saturday, putting a price on years lost for those my constipation and belly pain feel like a raging storm. i've tried laxatives, but my symptoms keep returning. my constipation feels like a heavy weight that keeps coming back. vo: linzess can help. once-daily linzess treats adults with ibs with constipation or chronic constipation. linzess is thought to help calm pain-sensing nerves and accelerate bowel movements. linzess helps you proactively manage your symptoms. do not give linzess to children under 6, and it should not be given to children 6 to 17. it may harm them. don't take linzess if you have a bowel blockage. get immediate help if you develop unusual or severe stomach pain, especially with bloody or black stools. the most common side effect is diarrhea, sometimes severe. if it's severe, stop taking linzess and call your doctor right away. other side effects include, gas, stomach-area pain and swelling. bottom line, ask your doctor about l

>> nbc's ian williams in south korea.ou. >>> presidential candidates are again flocking to the iowa state fair this weekend looking for support. new jersey governor chris christie is giving the soap box speech there today. he'll tour the state fairgrounds later this afternoon and yesterday senator ted cruz was at the fair where he was confronted by actress ellen paige on same-sex marriage. >> what about the question about lgbt people that you hire for strictly being gay and trans? >> well, what we're seeing now is actually bible-believing christians being persecuted. >> people are discriminating against lgbt people. >> no. >> people use that argument in the segregation era. >> i'm happy to answer your question but not to have a back and forth debate. >> nbc's vaughan hilliard is in des moines for us. vaughan, you were there for the conversation. what was your impression? >> we thought donald trump, hillary clinton, bernie sanders gave us quite a weekend last week and scott walker here this week. but these guys, ted cruz,

ian williams joins us where it's past 9:00 p.m. local time. ian, what can you tell us? >> well, those explosions last night, jose, were so powerful, they were recorded by the u.s. geologist survey as a seismic event. in fact, a lot of people around here left their homes because they thought it was an earthquake. but of course, only then they did they see the night sky light up in such a terrifying way. where i'm standing now is at the police cordon. they put it up about a mile away from where the fire is still raging. you may be able to see over my left shoulder, the glow on the horizon. there are still plumes of smoke and flames from about four fires which are being fought by about 1,000 firefighters. now, their task is made all the more difficult, all the more challenges because of the volatility of this fire. because it's a chemical fire, and because there's so, it seems, scant knowledge about what was in their warehouse, it has made it all the more difficult to fight. and that issue, exactly what was in the warehouse, is emerging as being particularly contentious be

let's get to bangkok with ian williams. >> hi, wilfred. we're still trying to get more detail of what appears to have been a small explosive this morning thrown toward a pier on the river. it's for river taxis that plow through the center of the city. it appears to have been a grenade or other small explosive and it blew up in the water so nobody was hurt. details are scant but this is a city that's very jittery at the moment after the carnage yesterday. now the prime minister gave a press conference a short while ago and he was giving very little away. he said they are looking for a suspect. a suspect who was spotted in cctv footage. he said they are looking and examining all sorts of other security footage but at this point they have no particular group in mind. now leader of the cue is a character that tends to see enemies everywhere. he has been cautious because bombings like we saw yesterday are massively out of character here. there are political conflicts. we have seen some violence, a lot of violence over the last decade in the dee

nbc ian williams has the latest for us from taipei. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, erica.is now beginning to clean up and to count the costs after a direct hit from this powerful typhoon. the typhoon made landfall early saturday packing top winds of more than 100 miles per hour of torrential rain. the island on lockdown, triggering landslides and cutting power to more than three million people. thousands of troops and rescue workers were deployed. the eye of the storm passing just south of the capital taipei. this is a fast-moving storm. it will quickly move across the island and out towards mainland china. >> by lunchtime in taipei the storm people were cautiously back on to streets covered with debris. >> downtown taipei has uprooted trees pulled from the ground from the sheer force of the storm. many trees have come down. >> reporter: residents said tall buildings swayed as they were hit by gusts of wind. >> yesterday night i can't sleep with the wind. >> reporter: was it scary? >> yes, very scary. >> reporter: the world's second tallest building emerged unscathed from

let's get out to ian williams who is in bangkok. any idea as hoe wto who is behi this? >> the authorities say this morning they have a suspect. a person of interest. they have identified a man, a young man from cctv footage. this person wearing yellow appears to be in possession of a backpack. he takes that backpack off and then he is picked up in later security camera video leaving the area of the shrine but without the backpack. clearly authorities are keen to track him down and keen to talk to him. a much smaller explosion here in bangkok today. this happened down through the river which goes through the senor of the city. somebody threw a device from the bridge toward the pier. this is one of the piers that services water taxis along the river. the device was small and exploded harm leslie in the water but it did all contribute to the tension in a jittery city here. the authorities are being very cautious. they're keeping an open mind about who might have been responsible for this because bangkok hasn't seen anything on this scale or nature causing so much carnage.

nbc's ian williams fired this report. >> it's a scene of utter devastation. fire still burning, smoke still rising, more than 24 hours after this. new video shows the first blast light up the sky over tianjin followed by a far more powerful explosion. captured on cell phone from a nearby apartment building until the photographer retreats in terror. among the american eyewitnesses, english teacher. >> there were shockwaves. thing people thought was a earthquake. >> buildings collapsed and torn apart. hundred of cars incinerated. shipping containers scattered. broken glass and debris everywhere. the death toll is now past 50. dozens are still missing. a thousand firefighters responded to the blaze. at least 12 died. hospitals are overwhelmed with the injured. hundreds of them. they were desperate for medical care but beds were in short supply. the cause of the blast is unknown. it happened at a company that stored hazardous chemicals. including sodium cyanide raising fears of an on going toxic threat. chinese officials marked off the blast area but the damage e

ian williams is with us this morning. >> this is one of the shelters, a pretty heavy bomb-proof door, now after the exchange of artillery last night, about 60 people in local villages were ordered here around 40 of them staying overnight. some did manage to return home today, but they have been told to come back here with tensions rising this evening across the border area. north korea sits just over the hills behind me. there are lots of reasons why this is a pretty scary border area, but what's most rattled kim jong-un, 11 vast installations of loud speakers which over the last few days have begun broadcasting propaganda into the north. he doesn't like that. he's called that an act of war. now, the reason the south restarted this propaganda operation after a break of 11 years is a mine attack which badly injured two south korean soldiers just a few days ago. kim jong-un doesn't like it. that's what led to the firing of shells into the south yesterday to which the south replied. we're now close to the southern edge of the demilitarized zone, this sign warning against going any furthe

ian williams, nbc news, tianjin. >>> still ahead, should vice president joe biden throw his hat into? i'll talk to someone who says yes. william pierce from the draft biden campaign. >>> we want you to keep weighing in on our bing question of the day. should al gore make another run for the presidency? keep your votes coming. >>> plus, two states, one republican front-runner signs that donald trump's campaign is about to get more serious. >>> the biggest basketball star in the world proving his a king in more ways than one. (vo) maggie wasn't thrilled when ben and i got married. i knew it'd take some time. and her sensitive stomach didn't make things easier. it was hard to know why... the move...her food...? so we tried purina cat chow gentle... ...because it's specially formulated for easy digestion. she's loved it ever since. and as for her and ben... ...she's coming around. purina cat chow gentle. one hundred percent complete and balanced for everyday feeding of adult cats. >>> will he or won't he? people in democratic circles are still trying to figure out if vice president joe b

ian williams on the scene for us. ian? >> reporter: hi, ari. manhunt is under way tonight in the thigh capital for a suspect who was filmed by security cameras at the erawan shrine minutes before that bomb exploded monday evening causing the carnage. this person, a man in a yellow t-shirt, seen on the video coming into the erawan shrine with the heavy backpack. he sits down, removes the backpack, stands up and then another surveillance camera shows him leaving without the backpa backpack. security sources say believe the bomb was detonated from an area very close to where he left that backpack and very keen to speak to this man and a big search is under way tonight to try and locate him. at the same time today, we saw a second blast. this one much smaller thankfully and without causing any casualties. what appears to have happened is a small explosive device thrown from a bridge over the river, the big river that runs through this city. towards a pier which services water taxis running up and down the river. it missed the pier, landed in the wa