At 10 o’clock on Monday, an explosive and powerful fire broke out at Liseberg’s new Oceana water park in Gothenburg, Sweden. The water park should have opened this summer, writes SVT.
Open flames burst from the roof and the smoke has spread over large parts of Gothenburg.
Residents are encouraged to stay indoors with doors and windows closed due to the spread of smoke in several places in the city.
By 6pm on Monday evening the fire was still not out, writes Göteborgs-Posten.
– There has been an extensive spread in the construction. There is total damage, and we are trying to limit the fire so that it does not spread to nearby buildings, Marcus Friberg told the newspaper earlier on Monday.
Later in the afternoon, Rädningstjänsten Storgöteborg assesses that there is no longer a risk of spreading to other buildings.
Photo: X/@Norburyman Photo: PRIVAT / NRK Photo: PRIVAT / NRK
One missing – several injured
According to the police, a man is missing after the fire, report The evening paper Monday evening.
The missing person is working on the project on behalf of Liseberg, the amusement park informs in a press release Monday evening.
– We are deeply sorry for this horrible incident at Oceana Vattenvärld. Our primary task now is to assist the police in the search for the missing person and to support all those affected, says Liseberg CEO Andreas Andersen in the statement.
The rescue service has been inside with smoke divers during the day, and searched the areas they can, says press officer Henrik Gunnarsson to Aftonbladet.
– But we cannot search large parts of the building due to the heavy fire and the risk of landslides, says a press officer in the rescue service.
Heavy smoke is coming from the facility.
Photo: Björn Larsson Rosvall / NTB
A total of 22 people are said to have been injured as a result of the fire.
The press contact at Sahlgrenska University Hospital tells SVT that 16 people have been sent to hospital and six others have received health care on the spot.
All the construction workers who stamped in this morning have now stamped out, Räddningstjänest informs Gothenburg Post.
– Huge explosion
The building is completely burnt out, according to communications manager Mårten Westlund in Liseberg.
– We can confirm that there is an extensive fire, says Westlund to Aftonbladet.
The management in Liseberg has gathered for a crisis meeting.
In a press release, Liseberg writes that the fire must have started at one of the water attractions outside the building, before it spread to the entire building.
– The entire building is on fire. Parts from a roller coaster flew over the area, eyewitness Magnus Bengtsson tells Aftonbladet.
A firefighter works to extinguish the fire.
Foto: TT NEWS AGENCY / Reuters
Another witness speaks TV4 that the situation is surreal.
– There was a huge explosion at Oceana and now everything is in flames. I am completely shaken, she says to the channel.
Anna Gyllenhammar also saw the fire with her own eyes.
– The water slide has melted, and only the steel structure remains. It looks completely macabre, she told Aftonbladet.
Investigated as an occupational accident
Operations leader Klas Lüppert tells Dagens Nyheter that they do not know what caused the explosion.
– I have heard about it, but unfortunately we have no information yet.
He says that the strong development of smoke is due to the fact that much of the construction that burns is made of plastic. And it is uncertain whether it is possible to save anything.
– We are working on it, but unfortunately the parts that have burned have been badly damaged and are completely damaged. It will take many hours before we are finished here, he tells the newspaper.
A major fire has broken out at the amusement park Liseberg’s new water park in Gothenburg, Sweden.
The police tell SVT that the incident is being investigated as an occupational accident, but that this may change.
NCC, which is the general contractor for the building, also believes the fire may have occurred in connection with work on the site.
– We don’t know anything for sure, but we think the fire started in connection with work, says press manager Amelie Winberg at NCC.
Risk of spread
The Express writes that there is a risk of spreading to other buildings. Several nearby buildings are evacuated.
Liseberg writes in a press release that they have evacuated guests from the Grand Curiosa Hotel and nearby office premises.
Several schools and kindergartens have also been evacuated.
The fire is said to have started in a water slide.
Photo: Private
For now, the fire only affects traffic on smaller, local roads, writes Gothenburg Post.
But the Swedish Transport Administration says that they see that traffic on the E6 has also started to slow down.
– There are quite a few queues passing by on the E6, says press officer Angelika Knutsson at the Swedish Transport Administration.
But there are currently no plans to close the E6/E20 or the railway.
Was supposed to open this summer
The swimming facility is new and is scheduled to open in the summer, writes Expressen.
Today’s News writes that the water park was planned to be Northern Europe’s largest. The facility has a budget of over one billion kroner.
In mid-January, work started on filling the pools with water.
According to Aftonbladet, the facility is 13,600 square meters in total.