Runaway ice cream truck crashes into crowd of kids (VIDEO)
Dozens of school children were injured by a vehicle in Kyrgyzstan on Thursday
An out-of-control ice cream truck rolled down a slope and crashed into a group of children during a cultural festival in a mountainous area of central Kyrgyzstan on Thursday.
Local media have said at least 29 children and one adult were injured, including four who were hospitalized with bone fractures.
The tragedy occurred when thousands gathered near the village of Jerge-Tal for an event dedicated to The Epic of Manas, a 19th-century Kyrgyz poem.
The attendees, including many students, were sitting on the grass on the side of a hill, with some holding up a large Kyrgyzstan flag.
Suddenly, a parked vehicle began rolling down the hill, hitting multiple people. It appears many people did not notice the incoming truck because they were facing the opposite direction.
The truck driver has been detained by police. According to local media, he told investigators that he had left the vehicle and was talking on the phone when he noticed that the truck was moving.
The authorities have opened a traffic safety violation case. News website 24.kg quoted police as saying that it is unclear why the vehicle rolled downhill.