Ice cream truck hits huge group of school-children after driver left handbrake off

This is the horrifying moment a runaway driverless truck mows down 29 schoolchildren at a festival in Krygyzstan.

The truck was being used by an ice cream seller, but suddenly started moving downhill into a crowd of thousands.

Eighteen children were hospitalised, with seven in intensive care.

The injured children were aged nine to 16.

The truck picked up speed as it went downhill with estimates it reached 30mph.

The hapless driver and security men raced towards the truck as they realised the vehicle was out of control and ploughing into the crowd of children.

An ambulance was seen offering help to the young victims of the runaway truck.

Children were seen lying wounded on the grass.

‘The driver forgot to put the handbrake,’ stated one report.

A health ministry spokesman said: ‘According to preliminary information, ice cream was sold from the truck.’

The children were at a festival dedicated to Manas Epic, a legendary poem that holds great cultural significance in Kyrgyzstan, a mountainous ex-Soviet republic.

The hurtling blue Hyundai Porter pickup truck finally came to a halt after ploughing into a marquee.

Doctors were ordered by government officials ‘to provide high-quality medical care, as well as the necessary medicines’.

The country’s Minister of Health Alymkadyr Beishenaliev took ‘personal control’ of overseeing treatment for the victims, it was reported.

Police have launched a preliminary investigation into the incident.

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