Terrifying footage shows the moment a driverless truck ran over 29 schoolchildren at a festival in Kyrgyzstan today.
The truck was being used by an ice cream vendor when it suddenly began rolling down a hill toward a crowd of thousands of people, most facing the opposite direction.
While some were able to get out of its way, many others were not so lucky and were hit full on as the truck plowed through crowd after crowd.
Eighteen children were hospitalized and seven of them in intensive care.
The injured children were between nine and 16 years old.
Terrifying footage shows moment driverless truck runs over 29 schoolchildren at festival in Kyrgyzstan today
The shocking incident was captured on video from several angles, including a drone hovering above the crowd as some children held a large Kyrgyzstan flag.
Other children are seen sitting on the grass on the side of the hill.
Many were dressed up for the event, a festival dedicated to Manas Epic, a legendary poem that has great cultural significance in the mountainous former Soviet republic, including traditional dresses and soldier outfits.
Suddenly, in the footage, the truck comes into view further up the hill.
The unfortunate driver and the security men ran towards the truck when they realized that the vehicle was out of control and heading into the crowd of children.
He begins to roll towards the large crowd, gaining speed and accelerates as he reaches the top of a grassy edge with a steep slope on the other side.
Estimates suggest the blue Hyundai Porter pickup truck reached 30 miles per hour.
At first he passes through a line of mounted horses whose riders managed to push them out of the way at the last moment.
The truck (seen above right from behind a tree) was being used by an ice cream vendor when it suddenly began rolling downhill toward a crowd of thousands, most facing the opposite direction.
The shocking incident was captured on video from several angles, including a drone hovering above the crowd as some children held a large Kyrgyzstan flag. The trick is seen moments after passing through a group of people.
The vehicle rolled down another steep slope and crashed into another group of children, this time mostly sitting on the ground.
More men were seen bravely running towards the vehicle in an attempt to enter the cabin and stop it.
However, a group of people a little further down the hill were not so lucky: the truck plowed into the crowd and even ran over people.
The screams from the crowd alerted some people in front of the truck, who desperately tried to get out of the way. However, once again some were not fast enough.
The vehicle rolled down another steep slope and crashed into another group of children, this time mostly sitting on the ground.
They were also crushed and the truck ran over at least one more.
More men were seen bravely running towards the vehicle in an attempt to enter the cabin and stop it.
It finally stopped after going through a marquee, as the images show.
An ambulance was seen offering help to the young victims of the runaway truck.
Children were seen injured and scattered on the grass.
“The driver forgot to set the parking brake,” a report states.
The truck is seen rolling down the hill in a second clip of the incident.
The truck finally stopped after crashing through a canopy (pictured)
The truck is seen stopping after passing through a canopy.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health said: “According to preliminary information, ice cream was being sold on the truck.”
Government officials ordered doctors “to provide high-quality medical care as well as necessary medications.”
The country’s Health Minister, Alymkadyr Beishenaliev, was reported to have assumed “personal control” of overseeing the treatment of the victims.
Police have launched a preliminary investigation into the incident.
