Families of victims in Shanghai stampede fear lack of answers and compensation
Families of those killed in Shanghai's New Year's Eve stampede have been told they can conduct funerals for the victims, but some are hesitating for fear that doing so will affect their demands for compensation as well as answers to who is to blame.
The relatives said they would not hold funerals for the victims because the government had yet to announce the cause of the tragedy or how much they would receive for the death of their loved ones.
"All these critical things have yet to be confirmed by the authorities, so we have to wait," said a man from Hubei province whose daughter was a victim.
Today marks the seventh day since the stampede - an important day to commemorate the dead, according to Chinese custom.
The tragedy that occurred on the riverside Bund 25 minutes before New Year's Day left at least 36 dead and 49 injured.
"Six government officials are monitoring us around the clock and several paramilitary officers are guarding the entrance of the hotel where we are staying," said the Hubei father, who did not want to be identified.
The man said reporters from a media outlet based in Wuhan managed to interview him by posing as his relatives.
"If they had revealed their true identities as journalists, the officials would certainly have stopped them from conducting the interview," he said.
Li Qi, a cousin of Li Xiang, a 25-year-old victim from Zhangzhou in Fujian province , said officials informed them yesterday that they could now hold the funeral.
They had also received his cousin's death certificate from the police, he said.
But he said his family was still waiting for the authorities to announce who or which government department would be held responsible for the tragedy.
"We can't accept that there is no answer," he said.
Li said his family's preference was to take Li Xiang's body back to his hometown in Zhangzhou for cremation, but that the city officials had insisted that the funeral rites had to be done in Shanghai in accordance with state laws and regulations.
"When police presented Li Xiang's identity card, social security card and driving licence to his father, he burst into tears," Li Qi said. "It's such a tragedy to have silver-haired old people say farewell to their younger generation like this."
Shanghai police have admitted that they underestimated the number of people expected to show up for the New Year's Eve festivities.
