Huǒzāi fāshēng shí rénmen huāngbù-zélù, chàdiǎn niàngchéng cǎità shìgù.
When the fire broke out, people fled blindly and nearly caused a stampede.
Tips
history
From Shi Hui's Yuan-dynasty drama 《幽闺记·山寒巡逻》: a refugee, 'fleeing in panic' and 'eating without choosing', has no option but to band together with other outlaws. The idiom keeps that desperate-flight color.
usage
Often paired with 饥不择食 (jī bù zé shí, 'starving, you don't pick food') - both express that panic or desperation strips away normal judgment.
