2 killed, 11 injured in sales stampede

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-03-23 09:05

CHONGQING -- Two people died and 11 others were injured Sunday in a stampede as shoppers scrambled for sales promotion in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, local authorities said.

Stair handrails is twisted after a stampede at a sales promotion, which killed two shoppers and injured another 11 in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality Sunday March 22, 2009. [e.cdqss.com]

The tragedy occurred in Fuling District at about 9:15 a.m. during a promotion of the medicine made by Tibet Lhasa Xuefeng Natural Medicinal Materials Development Co,Ltd.

The promotion was launched by Fuling Liaofeng Electronics Co. Ltd. Throngs of people crowded for gifts in the promotion, according to the spokesman of Fuling District.

"One of the dead was a 67-year-old lady named Zhang Shumei from Nantuo Township," the spokesman said."The 11 injured were being treated at Fuling Central Hospital. Two of them were severely injured."

Investigation into the cause of the accident is underway.

This was the second fatal stampede in Chongqing since 2007. In November, 2007, three people died and 31 others were injured in a stampede triggered by sales promotion in a Carrefour outlet in Shapingba District of Chongqing.