A Carrefour outlet issued an apology on Saturday in response to
a stampede triggered by a sales promotion that left three people
dead and injured 31 last month.
In the letter of apology, the outlet in southwest China's
Chongqing Municipality, where the stampede occurred, said that it
would take responsibility for, and learn from, the accident.
Also on Saturday, authorities in the outlet told Xinhua
reporters that all those responsible for the tragedy had been
punished.
According to an investigation conducted by the local government,
the stampede took place when Duan Chengwei, a security officer in
the supermarket, tried to stop people from rushing in by blockading
an entrance with a table. But that move backfired and caused the
stampede.
Duan was remanded to local judicial authorities after the
investigation.
The investigation also showed that the store was responsible,
both because of the mishandling of the emergency and a lack of
accident prevention measures.
The Carrefour outlet was fined 500,000 yuan (about 68,000 U.S.
dollars).
Two other persons deemed responsible for the incident, including
the supervisor of the outlet, were also fined.
Twenty-three of the 31 injured have so far been discharged from
the hospital.
The incident took place when a three-day promotion was launched
at the hypermarket in the city's Shapingba District to celebrate
the 10th anniversary of the French retail giant's opening in the
city.
The shop offered an 11.5 yuan saving from the original price of
51.4 yuan for a five-liter bottle of edible oil. When it opened its
doors for business, huge crowds rushed in and the stampede
began.
The Ministry of Commerce issued an emergency directive last
month banning time-limited sales promotions following the deadly
stampede.
(Xinhua News Agency December 30, 2007)