Beijing - China's financial hub of Shanghai has canceled its famed Lunar New Year lantern festival in the wake of a stampede that left 36 people dead.
The announcement Sunday illustrates the spreading effects of the Jan. 1 disaster, in which surging crowds trampled people along the city's legendary Bund riverfront walkway.
Events as far away as in Beijing have been canceled and security tightened in crowded public spaces.
The upcoming three-day festival in the city's Yuyuan Garden draws more than 1 million people.
The company that runs the garden and the Shanghai city government said in statement that the event was being canceled out of “safety concerns.”
It didn't directly mention the stampede, pointing to concerns over continuing public outrage over security lapses and a lack of government explanations.
Sapa-AP