A crush at New Year's Eve celebrations in Shanghai has killed 36 people and injured some 47 others, Chinese officials say.
The crush happened in Chenyi Square in Shanghai's historic Bund district overlooking the Huangpu river. Thousands of people had gathered to see in 2015. Social media reports suggest the stampede was triggered by people stopping to pick up fake money thrown from the balcony of a nightclub. A man who brought one of the 47 injured to hospital for treatment said fake money had been thrown down from a bar above the street as part of the New Year's Eve celebrations.
The Shanghai City government said the situation began at 23:35 local time and that a "working group" had been set up to handle the incident.
Eyewitnesses say people linked hands to block the crowds and allow the injured to be treated. Relatives of those injured waited for news at the hospital.
Many of the dead are believed to be students, with 25 of them women, state media report.President Xi Jinping has told the Shanghai government to find the causes of the crush as soon as possible, according to state TV. A traditional new year fireworks display on the Bund had already been cancelled due to official fears of overcrowding.
"I asked a police officer if I could help and was told to move along. I saw a man giving his wife or girlfriend mouth-to-mouth on the floor while police watched," A reporter said.
According to the Shanghai Daily, close to 300,000 people turned up for New Year's Eve celebrations last year, leading to traffic problems.
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