Three killed in stampede in China supermarket

BEIJING (Reuters) - Three people died and 31 others were injured in a stampede as shoppers scrambled for cut-price cooking oil at a Carrefour store in China on Saturday, Xinhua news agency reported.

The tragedy came during a promotion to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the founding of the store in Shapingba district in southwest China.

People began queuing in the early hours of Saturday to buy the cooking oil, said Gao Chang, a spokesman for the Shapingba district government. When the shop opened for business, throngs of people burst in and a mass stampede occurred.

"The outlet has been ordered to suspend operation and the work safety watchdog has started an investigation," Xinhua quoted Gao as saying.

French retailing giant Carrefour SA has been expanding its operations in China. It has 100 superstores in 37 Chinese cities.

(Editing by Giles Elgood)