Shanghai stampede: Victims' families compensated

The families of 36 people who died in a New Year's Eve stampede in Shanghai will receive 800,000 yuan ($129,000; £85,000) each in compensation, local authorities say.

The deadly crush took place at the historic riverfront walk, the Bund, where huge crowds had gathered.

The announcement came on the same day investigators released a report into the incident.

Four district officials were fired for failing to prevent public risk.

Authorities said the 49 people injured in the crush would also be given payouts depending on their injuries, according to a statement on the Huangpu district authority's official microblog.

Relatives mourn the victims at a memorial ceremony for those people who lost lives in a stampede last Wednesday during a New Year's celebration at The Bund on January 6, 2015
An investigation into the incident described a surging wave down a staircase
Families of the relatives have previously complained about being kept away from the media and from each other.

"Surging wave"
The four officials who lost their jobs were Zhou Wei, the Communist Party chief in Huangpu district, his deputy Peng Song, the district's public security chief and the deputy police chief.

Several other district officials were disciplined but no city-level officials have yet to face any disciplinary action.

The report released after the investigation described a series of events in which district police and officials were aware of growing crowds but failed to act or communicate the risk to higher authorities.

"The constant flow of people up and down the stairs caused a deadlock, then a surging wave," the report said, in reference to a stairway that connects an elevated promenade along the Bund.

"Pressure from the crowd going down increased, causing some at the bottom of the stairs to lose their balance and fall, leading to many people falling, overlapping, which caused the stampede," the report said.