LG helium balloon phone give-away leads to 7 being hospitalised as people use knives and BB guns
LG's promotional stunt in South Korea, which saw the phone manufacturer offer to give away 100 G2 smartphones for free to those who collected a voucher at the end of specially released helium balloons, has ended with 20 injured and seven sent to hospital.
The promotion for the phones, which retail for £550 ($851), took place in an outdoor park and saw customers arriving with BB guns, knives and pointed sticks to try and get the vouchers.
LG said in a statement: "LG Electronics deeply regrets that a number of Korean participants were injured during an outdoor promotional event in Seoul, Korea.
"We can confirm that seven participants were hospitalised and, although none of the injuries were serious, LG takes full responsibility for the unfortunate situation and has offered to cover all related medical expenses.
"LG is investigating the incident to ensure that such an occurrence can be avoided in the future."
All other planned events have been called off, due to safety concerns, it has also stated.