STOCKHOLM (AP) – Firefighters in Sweden battled for a second day Tuesday to extinguish a fire at a water park under construction at one of the country’s largest amusement centers. One park employee was missing, and 16 people, mostly workers, sustained minor injuries.
Authorities have not determined the cause of the fire at the Oceana water park in the popular Liseberg amusement park in Sweden’s second-largest city, Gothenburg. The fire broke out on Monday and spread to several waterslides and the pool area.
City fire chief Svante Karlsson said firefighters brought the blaze under control on Tuesday. “There was significant damage and some buildings collapsed,” he said, adding that he expected crews “to remain on scene for some time.”
In Gothenburg, Sweden, the Aqua Complex, the country’s largest amusement park, has caught fire. 12 people were injured. pic.twitter.com/rgFFKpKRUk
— Nexta (@nexta_tv) February 12, 2024
Nearby hotels and office facilities were also evacuated. Police earlier said they were investigating the fire as a workplace accident and “gross official negligence.”
Firefighters said it was difficult to extinguish the fire because of the risk of collapse, adding that some areas were still burning.
Oceana, which was scheduled to open this summer, would include approximately 6,000 square meters (7,176 square yards) of indoor swimming facilities and 4,000 square meters (4,780 square yards) of outdoor swimming facilities.
