Society

Blast rumor triggers panic flee; 4 die in stampede

By Wang Qingyun (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2011-02-11 11:42

Four people died in a stampede on Feb 10 in Xiangshui county, East China's Jiangsu province, stirred by rumors that a local chemical plant was going to explode.

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Residents of Chenjiagang and Shuanggang towns of Xiangshui county swarmed into streets, panicking over rumors breaking out at 2 am that poisonous gas had leaked from a local chemical plant, and would explode any minute. The evacuation caused a traffic jam between 5 am and 6 am. A motor tricycle carrying more than 20 people fell into a river during the confusion, killing four.

Xiangshui government formed a team to tackle the emergency, restoring order by reassuring people that there would be no explosions. Most of the people on the streets returned home by Thursday morning.

Some locals said they could smell a pungent odor in the early morning.

The incident is now under investigation.