(The Hill) — Two gondolas of a Ferris wheel caught fire in eastern Germany on Saturday night, injuring more than a dozen people, German news media reported Sunday.
The incident occurred when one of the Ferris wheel gondolas at the Highland Festival at Stoermthaler Lake near the city of Leipzig caught fire Saturday night, the German Press Agency reported Sunday, citing local police. The fire then spread to a second gondola.
The German Press Agency initially reported at least 23 people were injured in the incident, four of which experienced burns while one was injured in a fall. Sixteen of those injured, including first responders and at least four police officers, were examined at a hospital for potential smoke inhalation, the news service said later Sunday.
None of those injured were in life-threatening condition as of Sunday, the agency said.
17 August 2024, Saxony, Großpösna: Flames can be seen on a Ferris wheel at the Highfield Festival. (Photo by Str./picture alliance via Getty Images)
A total of 65 people reportedly received medical treatment in connection with the fire, police told the news service, without providing any further information on the victims.
A criminal investigation was opened after the incident, and police are still trying to determine how the accident, which destroyed both of the gondolas, occurred, per the German Press Agency. The scene of the fire was cordoned off.
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German rapper Ski Aggu was performing onstage at the festival when the Ferris wheel caught fire. In an Instagram story later, he said he was “dismayed” and “shocked” by the incident.
“I’m absolutely shocked and upset about the Ferris wheel fire during my show at Highfield,” the rapper said in a post on Instagram. “I was only told through my earpiece that I should not stop the show under any circumstances but should initially continue to talk with you so avoid mass panic.”
“The priority was to prevent the situation from escalating any further. Fortunately, that worked,” he added.
The fire was under control 30 minutes after it broke out, a fire service spokesperson told the German Press Agency.