Dozen people injured in crowd crush after Christmas giveaway balloon drop
Shoppers treated for ‘traumatic chest injuries, neck and back pain,’ ambulance inspector says
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Five people have been taken to hospital after shoppers were crushed during a stampede at a Christmas giveaway balloon drop in Sydney.
Video footage showed people jostling for gold, silver and white balloons containing gift vouchers at Westfield Parramatta shopping centre on Monday night.
As the prizes were dropped at midnight, the crowd surged forward and shoppers were sent sprawling.
Jonathan Nott, who captured the incident on camera, said he was worried someone would get hurt as the crowd gathered, adding: "It did not look like a very safe area for a large crowd to scramble for balloons."
Paramedics called to the scene treated 12 people. Four men and one woman were taken to hospital.
New South Wales Ambulance Inspector Phil Templeman said: "Three of the transported patients had more serious issues including traumatic chest injuries, neck and back pain as well as nausea and dizziness.”
Scentre Group, which owns the Westfield chain in Australia, said it was investigating the incident.
A spokeswoman added: "The safety of our customers, retail partners and people is our priority.
"Our team acted swiftly to support our customers, contact emergency services and make the area safe.
“Our team are continuing to speak with affected customers directly."
Additional reporting by Reuters
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments