Over 20 people were injured when two gondolas of a ferris wheel caught fire at a music festival near Leipzig in eastern Germany. Panic gripped the Highfield festival in Grossposna when people saw smoke coming out of the ferris wheel.
According to the dpa news agency, the fire started in one gondola and spread to a second on Saturday night. Four people suffered burns and one suffered injuries from a fall.
Several people suffered breathing difficulties due to smoke inhalation. Some first responders and police officers were rushed to hospital after they complained of discomfort due to smoke inhalation.
Police are investigating the cause of the fire.
However, the operator of the ferris wheel said that no passengers were sitting in the gondola in which the fire started.
Festivalgoers filmed a ferris wheel catch fire at an event near the German city of Leipzig, injuring dozens of people.
— DW News (@dwnews) August 18, 2024
Police said the blaze spread from the ground to the gondolas, which were empty at the time. pic.twitter.com/7d1aIlZT2S
A rescue helicopter was used in the operation.
⚡️During the Highfield Festival in the German city of Leipzig , a Ferris wheel with people in its cabins caught fire.
— John Spectator (@johnspectator) August 17, 2024
Two booths caught fire while customers were inside. The incident left more than 30 people injured, with at least two in serious condition.
The causes of the… pic.twitter.com/AXavn1WCnq
Many people shared images and videos of the incident on social media. German rapper Ski Aggu said he was told to continue his performance in order to avoid a mass panic at the festival.
Around 30,000 people attended the event.
"For a minute everyone was scared as there were people sitting on the ferris wheel. They were screaming for help. Luckily the police carried out rescue operations in time. Otherwise, the whole wheel would have been on fire and there would have been more casualties.
