Five people were hospitalised after
Christmas shoppers were crushed in a midnight balloon drop of
gift vouchers at a Sydney suburban shopping centre.
Video footage showed people at the Westfield Parramatta
shopping centre jostling for the gold, silver and white balloons
containing the gift cards. As the crowd surged, shoppers were
sent sprawling, including one person dressed as Santa Claus.
Jonathan Nott, who took the footage, said he was worried
someone would get hurt as the crowd gathered.
"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.
"Three of the transported patients had more serious issues
including traumatic chest injuries, neck and back pain as well
as nausea and dizziness," NSW Ambulance Inspector Phil Templeman
said in a statement.
Scentre Group, which owns the Westfield chain in Australia,
said that it was investigating the incident.
"The safety of our customers, retail partners and people is
our priority," a spokeswoman said.
"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."