Kyrgyzstan's May 9 celebration commemorating the end of World War II featured a unique and unplanned event this year.
Toward the end of the military parade in the capital, Bishkek, a tank accidently turned over on Shopokov Street, near Victory Square (see photos and video here).
The tank that flipped was a T-34 tank, the workhorse of Soviet mechanized warfare in World War II.
Colonel Daniyar Satinov of the Defense Ministry explained that the tank was being driven onto a trailer at the end of the parade.
"Because of the rain it was slippery. The moment the tank started up [the trailer ramp] the driver wanted to stop but did not apply equal force to the two steering levers," Satinov said.
"Because of that the left tracks stopped but the right ones did not."
The tank spilled oil onto the street, much to the delight of onlookers, many of whom filmed the incident. Military officials and police on hand were less pleased with the accident and with the people filming it.
A crane was called in and eventually set the tank upright on the street.
Satinov said the tank suffered minor damage but was still operational.
Not the best end to a Victory Day parade but certainly something that will be difficult to beat next year.
-- Bruce Pannier
Toward the end of the military parade in the capital, Bishkek, a tank accidently turned over on Shopokov Street, near Victory Square (see photos and video here).
The tank that flipped was a T-34 tank, the workhorse of Soviet mechanized warfare in World War II.
Colonel Daniyar Satinov of the Defense Ministry explained that the tank was being driven onto a trailer at the end of the parade.
"Because of the rain it was slippery. The moment the tank started up [the trailer ramp] the driver wanted to stop but did not apply equal force to the two steering levers," Satinov said.
"Because of that the left tracks stopped but the right ones did not."
The tank spilled oil onto the street, much to the delight of onlookers, many of whom filmed the incident. Military officials and police on hand were less pleased with the accident and with the people filming it.
A crane was called in and eventually set the tank upright on the street.
Satinov said the tank suffered minor damage but was still operational.
Not the best end to a Victory Day parade but certainly something that will be difficult to beat next year.
-- Bruce Pannier