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A horrible thing has happened today in China’s Henan Province. A truck loaded to the gills with fireworks — intended for the country’s upcoming Lunar New Year celebration — fired off its wares on a busy highway, leading to six minutes of the most brightly lit, celebratory destruction in recent memory.
How bad was it? According to the AP, the boom took out a 80m stretch of elevated highway, sending cars in a 30m freefall to the ground. Two dozen cars are totalled, at least eight people are dead, many more injured, and the dust literally still has yet to settle.
Investigators still aren’t sure what caused the maelstrom in the first place, but at least one thing’s certain: this was an awful event, made all the more so by how bright and booming it must have been.
[AP]
Image credit: AP
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Really? “Most festive tragedy ever”? How about not making fun of a tragedy?
My sentiments exactly. Had to go look up the definition of “festive” online (“cheerful and celebratory”) to make sure I wasn’t missing something.
Nothing festive about it at all. There were no sleighbells, reindeer, or santas seen anywhere.
Well done Giz. Yet again you stoop to a new low (and that is saying something) by making a mockery of both journalism and, with that headline, the deaths of a number of innocent people.
Don’t worry, they’re only Chinese hence the horrible death-as-fun headline. What japes!
I can see why the comments are somewhat angry, but truthfully you all need to step back and breathe a little. Take this image for example:
[i]‘leading to six minutes of the most brightly lit, celebratory destruction in recent memory’[/i]
Does that not make you think of a movie-like finale with zooms and pops and swirling colours? Lighten up a little, the world is a horrible place in which more people die every day than you can shake a stick at. Try not let it spoil your day.
enit. okay, it might not be the most pc thing giz has ever published, but holy fuck pull your knickers out your arse guys…
If it damaged a bridge, it makes me wonder if it had fireworks in it, or BOMBS
It’s a Chinese bridge, you could bring it down with a fully laden Nissan Micra.
Sadly its one of those rare tragedies, where people just stood around and did nothing, except for the mumbalings of ooooowwwwwsss and arrrrrs as the pretty fireworks danced around the crumbling remains of the bridge.
If it wasn’t for the fact people died, id be standing there waving my hands shouting fuck yeah.
arrrrrrrsssss WTF, Im not a pirate !!!!!!
awwwwww, thats better.
A horrible accident with 8 dead and the dust still to settle and you post an article about it that sounds like the writer thinks it’s all a bit of fun. I am quite appalled that the Managing Editor of Gizmodo would be so unprofessional as to write this crap.
If this happened in the UK would this article still have been posted? What if it was the friends or family of some of your staff or readers that had died, would that still be funny?
Anyway, what exactly is this article doing on Gizmodo? I thought this was supposed to be a tech site? The more time I spend on this site, the more I wonder why I come back.
Just noticed he is the Managing Editor of the US site, but still…
For your last point:
http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/about-us/
2nd paragraph
“Gizmodo and its new offshoot Gizmodo UK aren’t your average tech sites. Sure, we love technology and gadgets, but like any good nerdlinger, we’re also interested in science and smart design. Everything around you has been influenced by these elements, and it’s our goal to keep you on your toes about what’s coming next.”
Yes, but as far as I am aware fireworks, explosions and deaths aren’t usually covered by technology, gadgets or design.
Basically they’re not a pure tech blog, they also cover some general interest stuff. You should expect more general stuff like this, ones that preferably don’t come off as insensitive for tragedies.