At least 23 injured when fire breaks out on a Ferris wheel in eastern Germany

At least 23 injured when fire breaks out on a Ferris wheel in eastern Germany | iNFOnews.ca
A burnt-out gondola of the Ferris wheel after a fire broke out on the Ferris wheel at the Highfield Festival near Leipzig, Germany, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024. (Heiko Rebsch/dpa via AP)

BERLIN (AP) — At least 23 people were injured when two gondolas of a Ferris wheel caught fire at a music festival near Leipzig in eastern Germany, news agency dpa reported Sunday.

The fire started in one gondola and then spread to a second one on Saturday night, police said. Four people suffered burn injuries and one suffered injuries from a fall. Others, including first responders and at least four police officers, were to be examined in the hospital for possible smoke inhalation, dpa reported.

The accident took place at the Highfield Festival at Stoermthaler Lake near Leipzig. Police are still investigating what caused the fire.

On Sunday morning, police were still unable to provide any concrete information about the condition of those injured. The exact number of casualties had also not been determined, dpa reported.

The operator of the Ferris Wheel told dpa that no passengers were sitting in the gondola in which the fire started.

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