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16 People Die in Temple Fair Stampede
Sixteen people were killed and six injured in a crush at a temple fair on Sunday in Huayin, a county in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province.
The tragedy occurred at about 10:40 am when thousands of local residents crammed into a passageway on their way to the traditional event, held in Yuquanyuan, an ancient building that has hosted the fair for hundreds of years.
Many people were crushed underfoot in the alleyway, which is
under the Gansu-Lianyungang railway that lruns across the country from east to west, according to local police sources.
"In the morning, we sent 50 policemen to keep order on the road to the fair, but there were too many people for us to control, then the tragedy occurred," a local police officer said.
As soon as the accident occurred, local police and people began rescue efforts. The six injured were sent to the county's hospital and local government officials led rescue work.
Sunday, March 15, was a traditional time in the Chinese lunar calendar when temple fairs are held. At the Huayin fair, local people traditionally have fun and do shopping.
"We have established four working groups to do such things as helping relatives and investigating the accident. At present, the six injured are doing well in hospital. Their conditions are stable," a local official said.
Yuquanyuan is a well-known Taoist temple located at the foot of Huashan Mountain, one of China's main tourist spots. The accident has not affected the local tourist industry.
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