China has punished 11 public officials over the New Year’s Eve stampede in Shanghai that killed 36 people at an outdoor waterfront area.

State media announced Wednesday that four officials — the Huangpu district party chief, his deputy, the district security chief, and the deputy police chief — were fired Wednesday.

Seven other officials in tourism, public security, and urban management were disciplined.

Investigation results released Wednesday blame the officials for insufficient precautions and for poor site management at the waterfront area, known as “the Bund,” which is traditionally crowded on New Year’s Eve.

Families of the victims have criticized the local government and emergency officials for being too slow to respond to the crisis. It took place shortly before midnight, as people gathered at the riverfront site in central Shanghai to usher in 2015.

Witnesses say the stampede broke out when people rushed to pick up fake money that had been thrown from a third-story window.

China has seen deadly stampedes before. Thirty-seven people died in 2004 when they were trampled on a bridge during the Lunar New Year holiday. 
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