VIDEO. The gondolas caught fire: four people burned and 18 injured in the spectacular fire on a Ferris wheel

About twenty people were injured this Saturday, August 17, 2024 in the fire of a Ferris wheel in Germany.

More than 20 people were injured Saturday night in a fire at a Ferris wheel at a music festival near the eastern German city of Leipzig, police said.

Four burned

The fire, which broke out shortly after 9:00 p.m. (7:00 p.m. GMT), was caused by “the ignition of two gondolas” of the attraction, police said Saturday night AFP spokesman.

The fire was quickly brought under control by firefighters but four people were burned and one person injured by a fall, the source said. The rest of the injured, “18 in total”, were injured by breathing smoke from the fire.

In addition to the users, members of the police force and firefighters were injured during their intervention, according to the spokesperson.

Victims taken to hospital

Photos published by the press showed thick black smoke coming out of two burning nacelles, located at the top of the large wheel.

“All the people were taken to nearby hospitals, and rescue helicopters were deployed,”, the spokesperson added.

The Highfield Festival, which takes place from August 16 to 18 on the shores of Lake Störmthaler See near Leipzig, is a rock and pop festival that attracts tens of thousands of people every summer of people.

This year's program includes: American singer Macklemore, British group The Cooks and American punk group Rise Against.

According to the press, programming was able to resume on Saturday evening after the fire.