Eight elementary school students from northern Vinh Phuc province were injured when hundreds of children rushed to see a Santa Claus Friday, VnExpress reported.

According to the local news website, a young man dressed as Santa Claus entered the school during recess to deliver a gift to a particular fifth-grader.

Out of curiosity, hundreds of students followed him to the third floor. Because the students started jostling, teachers drummed as a signal that break time was over.

However, the drums further excited the students, who jostled more vigorously to return to their classrooms on time, which led to a stampede, VnExpress said.

Some students fell on the stairs, while tens of others fainted and were injured, the news site reported.

Six third-graders and one fourth-grader were rushed to Vinh Phuc Town's General Hospital, while another third-grader was brought to Hanoi-based Viet Duc Hospital with critical injuries.