A festive giveaway went wrong at a shopping centre causing a dangerous “stampede” to occur as shoppers ran to grab balloons with prizes in them. Crushed shoppers had to be taken to hospital after the giveaway went wrong at the Westfield Parramatta shopping centre in Sydney on Monday night.
The balloons filled with prizes were released over hordes of shoppers which caused a massive surge, injuring more than a dozen.
Footage from the scene shows people being thrown onto the ground and screaming as the crowd tries to grab the prizes.
New South Wales authorities have said that 12 people were treated at the scene.
But a further five had to be taken to hospital following the incident.
A spokesman for NSW police said: “They were at that location to grab balloons as they were released and apparently the balloons had small gifts inside.”
Inspector Phil Templeman said in a statement that emergency services were responding to reports of a balloon drop causing a “stampede of people to hustle for the prizes”.
Three of the victims taken to hospital had serious injuries including a chest trauma, neck and back pain as well as nausea and dizziness.
Mr Templeman added that it was “incredibly lucky” that no one was hurt more severely.
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Raging parents argued in front of young children over the lift in the store.
In video footage, one parent can be heard screaming “f**k you” at another.
Horrified children looked on as the women came to blows.
Security guards at the world-famous, iconic toy store on Regent Street in the capital had to separate the shoppers.
The toy shop is 259 years old was full of shoppers just days before Christmas in a bid to get their last minute gifts.
During the clash, one can be heard saying: “Let’s go, it’s not worth it.”
An eyewitness said: “The fight took place because the women on the right refused to join the queue like everyone else.
“Instead when the lift doors opened they just pushed their way in from the exit walkway.
“Obviously the people in the queue were not happy and the girl in the lift who was on the left side told them they had to get out.
“It all kicked off. I stopped filming when it got nasty.”