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| 35 reported killed in Shanghai stampede | 35 reported killed in Shanghai stampede |
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| BEIJING — A stampede at a New Year’s celebration in the heart of Shanghai killed at least 35 people and injured 42, according to the city government. | BEIJING — A stampede at a New Year’s celebration in the heart of Shanghai killed at least 35 people and injured 42, according to the city government. |
| The stampede occurred shortly before midnight, at 11:35 p.m., at the Bund — a waterfront area that is one of Shanghai’s most popular tourist landmarks. Emergency crews were dispatched and the wounded sent to four hospitals in the city, officials said in a short statement posted on the city government’s social media account. | The stampede occurred shortly before midnight, at 11:35 p.m., at the Bund — a waterfront area that is one of Shanghai’s most popular tourist landmarks. Emergency crews were dispatched and the wounded sent to four hospitals in the city, officials said in a short statement posted on the city government’s social media account. |
| The cause of the stampede is unknown and is being investigated, authorities said. | The cause of the stampede is unknown and is being investigated, authorities said. |
| Pictures circulating widely on Chinese social media show crowds surging, people lying on the ground and others trying to revive them. | Pictures circulating widely on Chinese social media show crowds surging, people lying on the ground and others trying to revive them. |
| The annual celebration was supposed to be a dramatically scaled-down affair this year. | |
| A few days earlier, authorities had announced the cancellation of a popular countdown using a 3-D laser display, the Shanghai Daily reported. Instead, several other activities were planned throughout the city. | |
| The countdown event had grown too unwieldy, authorities said. Since it began three years ago, the numbers attending have swelled steadily, from 100,000 to 300,000 last year, according to state media. | |
| The hordes came for a laser display beamed onto historical Bund buildings that culminated in fireworks at midnight. | |
| But as a result of the massive crowds, traffic would snarl to a standstill as early as 9 p.m. Public transportation was inadequate. Crowds of sizable numbers would be stuck for hours, unable to make their way home. |