Beijing — At least 37 people were killed and 15 others injured Thursday when a crowd stampeded during a holiday gathering outside the Chinese capital on the final day of the country's Lunar New Year celebrations, the government said.
Officials, including President Hu Jintao, expressed “deep concern” and ordered an investigation. The mayor of Beijing was on at scene supervising.
“This is a very serious incident,” said Wu Kun, a spokesman for the Beijing city government. “There could even be more people dead. It's still a very confusing scene up there.”
The official Xinhua News Agency reported the accident happened in Miyun County, an extreme northern suburb of Beijing. Mr. Wu said it occurred at 7:45 p.m. in a popular gathering spot called Mihong Park near the town of Miyun when someone tripped in a crowded area, causing a chain reaction.
“One person fell down on a grate in the park and caused many people to fall down. There was a stampede,” Mr. Wu said. “It was a lot of people. I'm not sure how many. These things are packed.
“All of the tourists in the lantern exhibition have departed safely,” he said.
Beijing Mayor Liu Qi, a member of the Communist Party's Politburo, went to the scene, and Mr. Hu and Premier Wen Jiabao ordered local authorities to find out how the accident happened and “to try their best to save the injured and make suitable arrangement for the families of the dead.”
The Lantern Festival is a celebration that marks the last night of the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration.
Miyun County is about 70 kilometres north of central Beijing and is the site of Miyun Reservoir, one of the largest in China and a key water supply for the Chinese capital. It is technically within the administrative limits of Beijing, a large district that includes the city and surrounding areas.
Chinese have been celebrating Lunar New Year since Jan. 22, and Thursday night was the final night — a nationwide celebration of lanterns and lights.
