Forty people injured in stampede at Kosovo beer festival after idiot storms tent shouting ‘ISIS’
Sick joke leads to carnage as hundreds fearing terrorist attack flee for their lives
OVER forty people have been injured in a terror-fuelled stampede after a sick prankster screamed 'ISIS' at a packed beer festival.
The terrifying moment was captured on camera as hundreds ran for their lives at Beer Fest in Kosovo's capital, Pristina.
Panic quickly spread after someone yelled the name of the terrorist group when they heard a gunshot -- although festival organisers said it was from a toy.
Mass hysteria saw people smashing their way into nearby buildings and trampling over others to escape.
Witnesses said people were crying as they fled, believing a jihadist atrocity was taking place. Many even lost shoes and ran barefoot.
Two people were left with serious injuries and unconfirmed local reports say a 15-year-old boy was shot.
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Kosovo has one of the highest proportion of gun owners in Europe.
Estimates suggest around 350,000 of the country's 1.8 million people possess weapons.
It leaves open the possibility a real weapon may have been fired in the crowd.
An unnamed witness described to local media how the panic spread, saying: "The only thing that was putting fear in the people was someone who shouted 'run, ISIS is here.'
"That alone, as well as the gunshot, was enough for people to panic."
I was in the middle of it, people came pushing at us and knocked us over. People were crying, shouting they have to flee
Witness
Another witness named only as Arton said: "We noticed that something was not right.
"People began to push and to throw over each other.
"I was in the middle of it, people came pushing at us and knocked us over.
"People were crying, shouting they have to flee."
The festival's permit has been revoked in the wake of the carnage.
Pristina's mayor cited event's lack of security and inability to cope with the large numbers of people -- including many who were reportedly underage.
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