A violent stampede during New Year's Eve celebrations in Shanghai, China, killed 35 people and wounded dozens more, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported early Thursday.
Scores of locals were ringing in the New Year near the city's popular waterfront area in downtown Shanghai when, for reasons yet unknown, a stampede broke out, the agency reported according to the BBC.
Thirty-five people were killed and another 42 were wounded in the stampede at the waterfront area known as The Bund.
As investigators determine the cause of the incident, online photographs and posts revealed scenes of utter chaos as police tried to control the crowds by forming a human wall.
"There were really too many people!" wrote one user on the Chinese social media site Sina Weibo, the BBC reported. "Squeezed inside, you could not budge, and could only move with the crowd."
Other pictures showed people receiving medical treatment at the scene. Shanghai's city government said the injured were transported to local hospitals, according to the BBC.
"Lots of people spontaneously linked hands to block crowds, so the injured had space to settle down, and to allow a clear passage for ambulances," another Sina Weibo user wrote.
The Bund, located near tourist attractions and historic buildings, has seen thousands crammed into the area during previous celebrations, according to the Associated Press.
Some 300,000 people reportedly showed up for 2014 New Year's celebrations. At the time the city's population surpassed 24 million, according to The China Daily newspaper.
