New Year tragedy as 35 killed in Shanghai stampede

THIRTY-FIVE people have been killed in a stampede during New Year’s celebrations in downtown Shanghai, China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency is reporting.

Medical workers stand outside the emergency ward of the No. 1 People's Hospital of Shanghai. Picture: AP

The report early Thursday cites the Shanghai government in saying that another 42 people were injured.

CONNECT WITH THE SCOTSMAN

• Subscribe to our daily newsletter (requires registration) and get the latest news, sport and business headlines delivered to your inbox every morning

• You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google +

The deaths and injuries occurred at Shanghai’s popular riverfront Bund area, which can be jammed with spectators for major events.

One Xinhua photo from the scene showed at least one person doing chest compressions on a shirtless man while several other people lay on the ground nearby, amid debris. Another photo showed the area ringed by police.

The cause of the stampede remained under investigation, the Xinhua report said.

Shanghai’s historic Bund riverfront runs along an area of often narrow streets amid restored old buildings, shops and tourist attractions. The China Daily newspaper in February reported that the city’s population was more than 24 million at the end of 2013.

SCOTSMAN TABLET AND IPHONE APPS

• Download your free 30-day trial for our iPad, Android and Kindle apps

• Keep up to date with all aspects of Scottish life with The Scotsman iPhone app, completely free to download and use