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Fire Breaks Out at Ferris Wheel During German Festival
August18
Over 30 people were injured Saturday evening when a fire broke out on a Ferris wheel at the Highfie
Over 30 people were injured Saturday evening when a fire broke out on a Ferris wheel at the Highfield Festival near Leipzig, Germany.
Police spokesperson Josephin Sader confirmed that the cause of the fire is still unknown. "The fire started in one of the gondolas for reasons yet to be determined and quickly spread to another.
Over 30 people have been injured, most of them with minor injuries," Sader said. She also noted that two individuals have sustained serious injuries.
The fire occurred at the Highfield Festival, which is held by Lake Störmthaler, located south of Leipzig. The blaze began around 9:13 PM and was brought under control within 30 minutes, according to the fire department.
Despite the incident, festival organizers announced around 10 PM that the event would continue. The performance of German rapper Cro was moved to a different stage due to the fire. Another German rapper, Ski Aggu, was in the middle of his concert when the fire broke out.
"I am completely shocked and distressed by the fire in the Ferris wheel during my performance at Highfield," Ski Aggu wrote on Instagram. "I was told through my earpiece that under no circumstances should I stop the show, but to keep talking to prevent mass panic. Thankfully, it worked. The top priority was to prevent the situation from escalating further."
This year marks the 15th edition of the Highfield Festival. The festival, which was held in Hohenfelden near Erfurt from 1998 to 2009, has been hosted near Leipzig since 2010.
The event features 54 artists over three days, with around 30,000 attendees expected. American rapper Macklemore is headlining the festival and is set to perform on Sunday.
The German news agency dpa reported that, so far, it appears that all 30 people suffered from smoke inhalation.
Among those slightly injured were four police officers, Sader added.
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