A Romanian ambulance crew was attacked with axes, clubs and stones after false claims circulating on TikTok convinced locals that the vehicle was part of a supposed “black ambulance that steals children” scheme.
The incident happened on August 9 in Recea Cristur, in Cluj County in northwestern Romania. The ambulance had been dispatched to the village to provide medical assistance to a patient. When the crew arrived, they initially stopped to ask residents for directions to the patient’s address.
The medical team eventually collected the patient and began transporting them toward Dej Hospital. Their journey was then blocked by a car, after which several people reportedly got out carrying clubs and axes and began attacking the ambulance.
Stones were also thrown at the vehicle, smashing its windshield. The driver was injured by shards of glass, including serious damage to his eye. He was taken for emergency treatment in Cluj-Napoca, where doctors performed surgery. Medical staff said he had suffered corneal damage and would need at least three months to recover.
The crew managed to escape the attack and return to base. Police and prosecutors subsequently opened an investigation, and seven people, six men and one woman, were placed in pre-trial detention.
