Experts: Public lacks safety awareness

More emergency training urged after the Shanghai New Year stampede disaster

Public security and first aid experts said officials and the public need to raise their awareness of the potential risks in densely crowded places.

"For large activities such as New Year celebrations in downtown areas, risk assessment and response evaluation are very important. They should be conducted in advance so administrators can use them as a basis for appropriate safety measures," said Qin Liqiang, a professor at People's Public Security University of China, who researches security management at large public events.