36 killed in stampede in China New Year celebrations

At least 36 people were killed and over 40 others injured in east China's Shanghai city during New Year's eve celebrations.

While 35 people died in the stampede late Wednesday, another person died Thursday afternoon, authorities said.

Seven of the injured have checked out of the hospital. Among the 40 remaining in treatment, 13 are seriously injured, the municipal government said.

The tragedy happened at a crowded square in Shanghai's gleaming Bund area at around 11.35 p.m. Wednesday. Most of the injured were young people in their twenties, a majority of them women. There were also college students and children, medical sources told Xinhua.

According to the Taiwan affairs office of Shanghai, one Taiwanese died in the stampede, and another was injured and is receiving hospital treatment.

Authorities in Shanghai confirmed to Xinhua that one of the victims was a female student from the Shanghai-based Fudan University, one of China's most prestigious universities. The student, surnamed Du from Yunnan Province, was fatally injured during the incident and died later in the hospital.

Police are investigating the cause of the stampede. The municipal government set up a working team for rescue operations and to deal with the aftermath.

The Bund, a stretch of riverbank on the west side of the Huangpu river in Shanghai, is a popular destination for New Year celebrations, with its historic architecture and skyscrapers along the river displaying dazzling light shows at night.

According to an earlier Xinhua report, a witness said that some coupons that looked like "dollar bill" were thrown from a building's third floor window and the people standing along the river bank started to scramble for these coupons.

On Thursday morning, many residents and tourists came to Chen Yi Square with flowers to mourn the victims.