More emergency training urged after the Shanghai New Year stampede disaster

Public security and first aid experts said officials and the public need to raise their awareness of the potential risks in densely crowded places.

"For large activities such as New Year celebrations in downtown areas, risk assessment and response evaluation are very important. They should be conducted in advance so administrators can use them as a basis for appropriate safety measures," said Qin Liqiang, a professor at People's Public Security University of China, who researches security management at large public events.

"I'm unsure of the details of this accident, but it tells me that we need to strengthen the prior-assessment procedures, especially in places where people are likely to gather, and apply the measures strictly," he said.

He suggested the Shanghai administration may need to add more staff, and said volunteers may also be needed in some places to work with police and other security staff.

Shao Feng, director of the Chinese Red Cross National Training Center, said the tragedy reflected the relatively low public awareness of emergency response procedures.

The center and its branches provide the public with training in emergency responses and first aid.

"We will conduct research and integrate stampede-response procedures into our training," he said.

"That could prevent accidental deaths, which in truth are preventable, and therefore it is very important for everyone."

The organization mainly teaches the public how to respond to emergencies and disasters such as fire, earthquakes, and road accidents.

"More training about how to save lives should be arranged for students," Shao said.

Awareness of correct emergency responses remains relatively low in China, where only 1 percent of the population has received training, he said.