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Witnesses tell how Shanghai Bund chaos erupted within minutes

Crowd masses on a packed stairway leading to terrace viewing area, and within minutes pushing escalates into panicked terror, witnesses say

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A photo of the crowds along The Bund, posted on Instagram. Photo: SCMP Pictures

People caught up in the stampede in Shanghai on New Year's Eve said the chaos unfolded quickly, with screams ringing out in the darkness as pushing escalated and panicked revellers began climbing over others in an attempt to escape.

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The crowd grew congested on a stairway leading to a terrace from about 11.30pm, they said. People along the Bund were surging towards the terrace hoping to get a better view and a bottleneck formed as some tried to go down the stairs while others were pushing their way up.

One witness told the he was standing on the stairway with four friends, when he saw one onlooker fall.

Paramilitary police officers stand guard on the location where people were killed in a stampede incident during a New Year's celebration on the Bund in Shanghai January 1, 2015. Photo: Reuters
Paramilitary police officers stand guard on the location where people were killed in a stampede incident during a New Year's celebration on the Bund in Shanghai January 1, 2015. Photo: Reuters
"Many people wanted to leave the stairway, but the security had blocked the road. I then snatched a megaphone from a security guard and told people to leave, and two emergency lanes were cleared afterwards," he said. "It was a loss of order and no one knew what was happening at the time."

Thirty-six people died and 49 others were injured in the stampede, the city government said.

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Another witness told the the scene was dark and all he could hear was people screaming when the chaos erupted.

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