China New Year stampede kills 35 in Shanghai: city govt
SHANGHAI (AFP) - A stampede by New Year's revellers on Shanghai's historic waterfront killed 35 people and injured dozens more, the city government said early Thursday.
The crush happened in a crowded square shortly before midnight as people packed the Bund area to welcome the New Year, according to a local government statement.
The Bund, renowned for its pre-Chinese revolution architecture, is the former financial district of the country's commercial hub and now a popular tourist destination, packed with high-end restaurants and expensive boutiques.
The cause of the accident was under investigation, the statement said, adding city government leaders had called for "every effort" to care for the 42 injured.
A photo on the website of the Shanghai Daily newspaper showed what appeared to be dead and injured people lying on the ground with crowds still in the background.
The injured have been taken to at least three local hospitals, the Shanghai government said in a separate statement.