Dozens Killed and Injured in New Year's Celebration in Shanghai

In the final moments of 2014, a crowd surge in a famous neighborhood of Shanghai resulted in the deaths of at least 35 people and injuries to 42 others. The deadly incident occurred during the New Year's celebration in the 'Bund' area at 'Chenyi' Square in Shanghai. According to China's official news agency, Xinhua, a witness reported that the crowd surged after someone began throwing 'paper resembling dollar bills' from a nearby building. The witness stated that people rushed to collect the fake dollars. Investigations are ongoing, and city officials have assigned a group to assist the victims' families and those affected by the incident. However, local reports and social media indicate that some relatives of the victims, gathered outside one of the hospitals, have expressed anger over the lack of information. Last week, the English-language Shanghai Daily reported that the annual celebration in the 'Bund' area had been canceled due to crowd control issues. This area and its surroundings typically host hundreds of thousands of people at the start of the New Year. Reuters noted that in 2013, 300,000 people gathered to watch a 3D laser show in this area. Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged Shanghai officials to quickly determine the root cause of the incident. The Shanghai tragedy is considered one of the worst in recent years.