China has banned time-limited sales promotions in retail outlets following a stampede at a Carrefour supermarket in southwestern Chongqing Municipality that killed three and injured 31 on Saturday, according to a government circular.
The Ministry of Commerce ordered local authorities across China to overhaul safety requirements in shops to prevent similar occurences, said a statement dated Monday on its website.
"In order to eliminate safety concerns, companies are required not to organise time-limited sales promotions which may lead to traffic congestion, bodily harm and disorderly conduct," it said.
In the Saturday stampede, victims were crushed as bargain-hunters rushed to get into the French supermarket for a tenth anniversary sale.
''I rushed to the oil shelf with other people and grabbed four bottles,'' the official China Daily quoted one shopper as saying.
Some people had begun to queue at 4 am (local time) for the five-litre oil bottles, which had been discounted by 11.5 yuan from their usual price of 51.4 yuan.
The stampede injured 31 people who were ''recovering well'', the paper said.
Local officials have closed the store and began an investigation.
