Shocking CCTV footage showing a small boy in a trolley flying down a mall escalator has left people asking whether it was an accident, if an older sibling did it on purpose, and why no adults were there to intervene.

In the controversial video, a boy pushes the trolley to the edge of an escalator in a shopping center in Nyagan, in Russia’s Kemerovo Region. There is another child inside the trolley, who is believed to be his younger sibling. The cart is then seen tumbling down the escalator, flipping several times.

The boy is seen lying on his stomach at the bottom of the stairs, as some adult shoppers rush to help him. The older child stands almost motionless on the escalator.

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The fall left the kid unconscious and his forehead was bleeding, according to witnesses cited by local media. He was taken to hospital and it was later reported that he had recovered. Police have initiated an investigation against the mother for negligence.

After the video was uploaded by a user of the Russian social network Vkontakte on Wednesday morning, it sparked an avalanche of comments and heated debate.

Most of the people who commented on the video wondered where the mother of the two boys was when they were playing such dangerous games. The woman reportedly arrived on the scene just five minutes later, and started yelling and beating the older sibling.

Others debated whether the stunt was done on purpose by the older kid, or if it was just an incident. Many questioned the safety of putting children in trolleys in general, and using them for fun rides without adult supervision.

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