Child Dies in Armored Vehicle Hatch Accident at Trophy Equipment Exhibition in Russia

In Komsomolsk-on-Amur, at an exhibition displaying captured Ukrainian and NATO equipment, a child was killed after the hatch cover of an armored vehicle fell on him. The boy died from an open traumatic brain injury, Komsagram Telegram channel said citing a source at emergency services.

According to eyewitnesses, the boy was standing under an armored personnel carrier when another child inside the vehicle pulled a lever, causing the hatch to open and fall onto his head.

Another version suggests that over time, hydraulic fluid had leaked out, causing the heavy hatch door to open on its own.

The boy was four years old. After the incident, all trophy equipment at the exhibition was cordoned off.

Before the tragedy, the equipment was freely accessible, with parents placing their children on the vehicles to take pictures, aiming "to get them higher up for a better shot," Gazeta.ru publication said citing an eyewitness.

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Komsomolsk-on-Amur is a city in Khabarovsk Krai, Russia, located on the west bank of the Amur River in the Russian Far East. It is located on the Baikal-Amur Mainline, 356 kilometers (221 mi) northeast of Khabarovsk. Population: 238,505 (2021 Census); 263,906 (2010 Census); 281,035 (2002 Census); 315,325 (1989 Soviet census).