Rare Pokémon causes ‘stampede’ in New York’s Central Park

A rare Pokémon Go character has been identified as the cause of an apparent stampede in New York’s Central Park, after crowds of people were filmed sprinting through the area.

Video shows traffic being brought to a halt in a nearby street on Thursday night, as dozens of people sprint towards the park, reportedly in search of a ‘Vaporeon’ character.

“There’s a Vaporeaon right there, so everyone’s running,” one person can be heard shouting.

Pokémon Go is an interactive  mobile phone game that uses GPS to place fictional characters in different geographical locations. Users must then attempt to catch the characters by physically attending the location.

The craze has not been without its dangers in Australia.

READ MORE: Aussie Pokémon Go users caught 'playing and driving'

A woman allegedly backed her car into another vehicle at Toowoomba’s Picnic Point during a Pokémon Go session last week, while two teenagers were fined $325 each after allegedly being caught playing the game while driving in Sydney.

In Mount Isa last Wednesday, police escorted a ‘Charmander’ from a local school after being called to reports of players trespassing on school property.

Western Australian police also said a patrol car had to swerve to avoid hitting a Pokémon -enthused pedestrian.

Queensland Rail has urged commuters to “remain vigilant” while hunting anywhere near train tracks.

READ MORE: Pokémon Go player finds body in US river

Since its release in Australia earlier this month, the game has trumped Tinder on the app store.