New Year’s Eve celebration in Shanghai ends in disaster - 36 dead, 50 injured

#NewYearsEve #Shanghaistampede #ChenYiSquare It was the New Year’s Eve celebration in Shanghai and it ended in disaster due to a stampede that left at least 36 people dead and nearly 50 others injured. It is believed to be one of the biggest disasters to befall a major Chinese city in recent years.
As per reports, the stampede started at around midnight in Shanghai’s Chen Yi Square which is a wide promenade very popular with tourists – it is located between a row of historic art deco buildings and the Huangpu riverfront.
The chaos and mayhem was centered on a stairway leading up to a viewing platform that was overlooking the river when a group of people tried to climb to the platform while others were on their way down. Consequently, there was panic and mass confusion when people tumbled down in a heap on the ground and others trampled over them.
The dead included 25 females and 10 males, most of them students and “young people in their 20s” – the youngest was 16. Among the injured are three Taiwanese people and a Malaysian. Seven people have left the hospital, while another 40 are still undergoing treatment – at least 13 of them are said to be in critical condition.