Half-win for customer who broke 13 ribs

A supermarket outlet in the city has been ordered to pay some 53,000 yuan ($8427) to an 80-year-old woman, who suffered 13 broken ribs after crowds of crazed customers mobbed the store to buy salt last year, Minhang District People's Court said yesterday.

The woman, identified as Qi, sued the Lianhua supermarket on Dushi Road last year, seeking 100,000 yuan ($15,870) for her injuries.

Qi was hurt on March 13, when the store opened its doors to swarms of local residents hunting for salt after an earthquake and tsunami struck Japan a year ago. Widespread fear of radioactive materials reaching Shanghai triggered the purchases, as people believed that salt would protect them from radiation exposure.

In the madness, Qi was toppled over by nearly 30 customers as she tried to make her way to the store's elevator.

But the store argued that it had temporarily shut down the elevator due to the chaotic crowds, adding that video surveillance never showed that Qi had fallen.

The court ruled that while Qi should have avoided the unruly crowds rather than joining in, the supermarket should have also had more safety precautions in place to ensure the safety of customers, and therefore, should pay partial compensation.