Well, that blew up in their faces!
More than a dozen holiday shoppers were injured in Australia when a cascade of balloons was dropped from the ceiling early Tuesday as part of a mall promotion, according to a report.
The balloons, which were released at midnight, contained vouchers for as little as $5 at Westfield mall in Sydney, sparking a stampede among shoppers determined to get a deal, Australian outlet 9News reported.
Footage showed people being thrown to the ground as others tried to snatch promotional balloons.
One of the customers said the stampede destroyed one of the Christmas displays in the mall.
“As the balloons started to drop, customers just started pushing in, and people were pushing against the set and it just pulled apart,” the woman told 9News. “The staff were literally pulling people in over the broken pieces and trying to administer first aid before paramedics came.”
Five people were rushed to the hospital with injuries, while another dozen shoppers were treated at the scene, the outlet reported.
Three of the victims suffered serious injuries, including chest trauma, neck and back pain, officials said.
“As we go into the busy holiday period and many of our shopping centers become crowded with people, we urged the community to be patient and ensure the safety of themselves and those around them,” New South Wales Ambulance Inspector Phil Templeman told 9News.
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