Beijing, Sep 13 (IANS): The government has started appraising apartments damaged in warehouse blasts in China's Tianjin city, local authorities said on Sunday.

The Tianjin government has started assessing apartments in seven residential compounds, where more than 17,000 units were damaged by the blasts, Xinhua news agency reported.

The assessing company will suggest whether an apartment requires rebuilding or buy back, said the firm's general manager Huang Jisheng.

The appraised value will be compared with the contract value of the apartments and the higher price will be used for buy back, he said.

In addition, another 30 percent of value will be provided to residents as compensation, he added.

Two blasts tore through a warehouse that stored large amounts of toxic chemicals at the Tianjin port late on August 12.

A total of 165 people, including 99 firefighters and 11 police officers, were killed.

Eight people, mainly firefighters, are still missing. Hundreds of the injured still remain in hospitals.