THE Bund, Shanghai’s riverfront promenade, is no stranger to crowds. The broad avenue, flanked by grand century-old buildings on one side and shimmering skyscrapers across the Huangpu River on the other, is a must-visit for tourists and the focal point for celebrations in the city. On New Year’s Eve, the thronging of revellers turned tragic.
A stampede shortly before the countdown to midnight killed at least 36 and injured more than 40. Photos of the aftermath showed people trying, vainly, to resuscitate fallen friends. Most of those who died were young, some still in high school. Shoes and purses lay scattered at the foot of stairs to a viewing platform over the river. That platform, normally a prime spot for tourist snapshots and wedding photographs, was soon lined with bystanders shouting in unison for revellers to retreat, to make way for medical help. Packed in so tightly, many were unaware of the calamity unfolding just a few steps away.
Crowd control, a headache anywhere, is a perennial concern in the densely populated cities of a country of more than 1.3 billion people. China has had stampedes before—for example at limited-time sales at stores or during earthquakes—but this was the deadliest in years. It occurred in a city that takes pride in normally being one of the country’s best-run metropolises.
Amid the shock and grief,...Continue reading
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