From: 91066702@cphkvx.cphk.hk
Subject: LKF report from SCMP
Organization: The Ohio State University; Department of Phyiscs
Date: Fri, 1 Jan 1993 14:16:10 GMT

"20 DEAD IN CRUSH OF NEW YEAR REVELLERS"

"100 injured as crowd counts to midnight"

      Up to 20 people were reported to have been killed and more than
100 injured in a stampede involving some of the 20,000 in Lan Kwai Fong
in Centeral for New Year celebrations last night. The dead were two
teenaged expartriate men, 11 Chinese men and seven local women.
      The crush occurred when people surged out into the streets from
the district's restaruants and bars as the countdown to midnight was
being broadcast live on TVB.
      At the stroke of midnight, the crowd cheered and threw beer and
champagne at one another, apparently causing some of them to start
pushing and shoving. 
      The worst casualties occurred at the junction of Wellington Street
and Wing Wah Lane where a slope and some steps caused people to trip
under the pressure. Many others were injured in D'Aguilar Street.
      Early this morning, the Governor Mr Chris Patten went to Queen
Mary Hospital. "Its a grim beginning of the year. It is more important
to offer condolences and prayers to the families and friends."
      Police, who are taking inquiries on 860 2310, said there would be
a fully inquiry but believed the disaster was a "happy incident that
went wrong".
      Witnesses at Tang Shiu Kin Hospital in Wan Chai where 35 were
taken said ambulances deposited the injured in the corridors of the
casualty section. Most were unconscious. The majority were young Chinese 
men and women but one expatriate man with a large cut to the head said
he had been hit by a brick. 
      Twenty ambulances took 39 of the injured to Queen Mary Hospital,
where 20 were certified dead, 10 were admitted in serious condition and
nine were treated and discharged. Others with minor injuries took taxis
to the hopsitals. One woman sought help at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in
Yau Ma Tei.
      A large number of people who remained in the area after the
incident were shocked and dazed and a lot of them were crying. The
streets were littered with articles of colthing, jewellery, boots, cans
and bottles. 
      This morning's incident was one of the worst civil disasters in
Hongkong's history. In October 1990, six people died and seven others
were injured when a concreate canopy collapsed on to a pavement in To
Kwa Wan.
      A senior police officer said that many of the people in Lan Kwai
Fong had been drinking, so they had fallen more easily. More than 150
police officers had been posted in the area anticipating problems but
they could not control the sudden rush just before midnight. There are
no reports that the incident was provoked by violence.
      Early this morning there had been no arrest at any celebration and
other events had gone off normally. The Jardine's gun was fired at the
stroke of midnight in keeping with a 46 years tradition.
      And in Nethersole Hospital in the Mid-Levels, the first baby of
the year was a 3.06 kg boy who from here on can claim that he was first
child of Mr Chong Choping, 25 and his wife Choi Mei-win, 23 both
computer typists, born at 00:00, 1993.
      Elsewhere, party-goers took advantage of a pleasant 17-degree
Celsius temperature to flock to the streets and ring in the year.
Restaurants and night-clubs overflowed with revellers, and tuxedo shops
reported business had been brisk throughout the day.
      At the Hilton Hotel, 550 revellers boogied the night away in the
hotel's ballroom to tunes belted out by celebrity lookalikes imitating
Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, Madonna and Elton John.
      About 200 people turned out in Causeway Bay to watch Lady Rebecca
Purves fire the gun overlooking Victoria Harbour in celebration of 1993
and the knighthood awarded to her husband Sir William Purves in
yesterday's New Year Honours List. 
      A spokesman for Jardines said Lady Purves was chosen for the
honour in recognition of Sir William's contribution to the territory.
Sir William is chairman of the Hongkong Bank and the Royal Hongkong
Jockey Club, which holds its New Year race meeting this afternoon.
      Jardine Matheson Holdings taipan Mr Nigel Rich, and his executive
assistant, Mr William Landal, accompanied Lady Purves on the gun
platform before eight bells were rung for the old year.

by Tommy Lewis
South China Morning Post, January 1 1993, p1







"Witnesses tell of horrifying moments"

Those involved in last night's tragedy told of a horrifying few minutes
in which they and their friends were trapped ina sea of people.
      Mr Michael Howard, 24, who sustained scratches, said at Tang Shiu
Kin Hosptial that a few minutes after New Year, a man in front of him
slippted and those behind just piled on him.
      Ms Stephanie Pechholz, a 17-year-old German, said people were
pushing "really hard" but she managed to step aside to a restaurang.
      Mr Andrew Bell recounted that five minutes after midnight people
were beginning to leave Lan Kwai Fong. There was a surge of people from
each of the three roads appraoching the junction outside the California
restaurant, he said. He said most people were well-behaved but the crowd
started to sway alarmingly, and "people got knocked down". He said there
were three policemen standing on one side but they were unable to do
anything to control what was happening. 
      One woman who fell in the surge and was pulled out. One of the
policemen said: "You're one of the lucky ones".
      Some complained that the police had taken too long to respond, but
one witness said there was no way to anticipate what had happened and
that there was no way the polce could have controlled the crowd.
      Early this morning, people were still arriving at Tang Shiu Kin
Hospital, which had admitted at least 35 people, mostly Chinese. Some
of the people travelled to the hospital by taxis. Doctors said the most
seriously injured admitted to the hospital sustained fractured bones.
      Governor Mr Chirs Patten and legislator Dr Leong Che-hung went to
visit the injured at Queen Mary Hospital.
      Anxious relatives and friends crowded the casualty ward. Many of
them, distraught and concerned, broke down and cried.

by Bonny Tam
South China Morning Post, January 1 1993, p2
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