A 38-year-old Chinese man was injured after being pushed into a torrent in Palma on Monday morning after refusing to give money to another man.
The incident happened at around 9.20am at the Na Bàrbara torrent, near its junction with Aragón Street, according to Palma Local Police. The victim told officers, using Google Translate, that he had been walking when he was approached by a man who demanded money. When he said he had nothing on him, the suspect allegedly pushed him into the torrent from a height of around 2.5 metres.
The victim was found lying on the ground by a man who had gone outside to dispose of his rubbish. He attempted to speak to the injured man but received no response, prompting him to alert the emergency services. Local Police officers from the Unitat de Seguretat Integral (USEI), firefighters and an ambulance were dispatched to the scene.
The injured man had significant swelling to one knee and a forehead injury following the fall. Firefighters worked alongside medical staff to rescue him from the torrent before he was taken by ambulance to Son Espases Hospital in Palma. His condition was described as mild.
Palma Local Police have launched an investigation to identify and arrest the alleged attacker. Officers are working to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident, which is being treated as an alleged assault following a demand for money.