Ferris wheel catches fire at German music festival
Dozens of people suffered mostly minor injuries but two seriously injured at the Highfields Festival near Leipzig on Saturday night when two vehicles carrying rides burst into flames, reports said. (Credit: TikTok/ @nervdieleudenicht)
A Ferris wheel at a festival near Leipzig, Germany, caught fire on Saturday night, leaving multiple people injured, according to reports.
More than 20 people were injured in the fire, two of them seriously, the European taxpayer-funded broadcaster DW reported, citing police and the German Red Cross.
Most of the injuries were due to minor smoke inhalation, DW said, including four police officers.
Four people suffered burns and one was injured in a fall, according to France’s AFP news agency.
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Flames can be seen shooting up from a Ferris wheel at Germany’s Highfield Festival. (Str./picture alliance via Getty Images)
“Those affected are receiving treatment and are doing well given the circumstances,” the Highfield Music Festival said in a statement, according to Britain’s Sky News. “We are working closely with the fire, police, rescue and medical services.”
Photos and video showed flames and smoke coming from two of the Ferris wheel carriages.
The cause of the fire is still unknown.
Visitors to Highfield Festival watch as the Ferris wheel continues to burn. (Str./picture alliance via Getty Images)
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German rapper Ski Ugg, who was performing when the fire broke out, His Instagram He said he was shocked and disheartened by the fire, adding that he hoped all affected made a speedy recovery.
Most of the injured reportedly suffered from smoke inhalation. (Str./picture alliance via Getty Images)
“For me the first priority was to prevent the situation from getting any worse, which fortunately worked out,” he wrote in German. “I thank you for keeping calm and preventing the situation from getting any worse.”
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According to Sky News, about 18 of the victims were taken to hospital and performances continued about an hour after the fire broke out, although the wheel remained closed.
