Großpösna – Thousands of people are celebrating exuberantly at the Highfield Festival near Leipzig. However, while rapper Ski Aggu is performing on stage, a giant Ferris wheel suddenly catches fire 100 meters away, with flames shooting meters high from two gondolas. A catastrophe is averted because people in the Ferris wheel can leave the ride in time. However, there are numerous injuries.
According to police reports, 16 people need to be treated in hospitals, including four with burn injuries and one person with a fall injury.
Some injured, including first responders and at least four police officers, should be examined for possible smoke inhalation. In total, 65 people required medical attention as a result of the incident. The good news: No one was seriously injured.
Fire at Festival: Initial Findings on the Cause
Festival attendee Guido from Cologne reported that the Ferris wheel suddenly started moving faster. The burning gondolas were at the top. “Then there was complete silence,” recounted the 58-year-old.
40-year-old Stephanie from Werdau in Saxony was particularly shocked. She had been on the Ferris wheel just a few minutes before the fire. “We smelled plastic and thought it was coming from the campsite,” she described. When she saw the flames on the gondolas, she could hardly believe how close she had come to danger. The festival was interrupted for about two hours before the show continued.
Str./dpa
Ferris Wheel Fire at Highfield Festival: Initial Findings on the Cause
The 40-year-old Stephanie from Werdau in Saxony was particularly shocked. She had been on the Ferris wheel just a few minutes before the fire. “We smelled plastic and thought it was coming from the campsite,” she described. When she saw the flames on the gondolas, she could hardly believe how close she had come to danger. The festival was interrupted for about two hours before the show continued.
Str./dpa
Ski Aggu explained that the priority was to prevent the situation from escalating further. Fortunately, that succeeded. “Thank you for remaining calm, which may have prevented something worse.” The crucial factor was primarily the work of the emergency services, who reacted quickly. “Thank you for your service!! I wish all affected a speedy recovery,” wrote the Berlin rapper, whose real name is August Jean Diederich and whose trademark is a ski mask.
Festival attendee Ricky, who traveled from the Harz Mountains, initially felt uncertain about whether the concerts should continue after the fire. The 27-year-old felt the mood was somber but praised the organizers: “There were clear announcements, and we knew what had happened.”
Bastian from Leipzig also mentioned that the emergency services arrived quickly. After the incident, he felt that many were heading back to their tents—wanting to spend the evening discussing what had happened, said the 33-year-old.
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The next morning, the site of the fire is cordoned off, and the first festivalgoers stroll around the area. A fire expert has arrived to investigate the cause of the incident. Also present is the Ferris wheel operator, Sebastian Hannstein from Bremen, who is standing next to the ride in the morning. The plastic of one gondola has been completely burned away, leaving only a steel frame. Two other gondolas are soot-stained.
The fire occurred during passenger exchange, Hannstein told Deutsche Presse-Agentur. “My employees told me that no people were in the gondola when the fire broke out.” He is shocked and incredulous. “My family has operated Ferris wheels for generations. Something like this has never happened,” he emphasized.
Ferris Wheel Was Only Seven Years Old
Sebastian Willnow/dpa
His employees reacted quickly when they saw the flames, Hannstein explains. “They accelerated the Ferris wheel to speed up the evacuation of the other gondolas.” The operator could not say how many people were in the other gondolas at the time the fire broke out.
According to the operator, the Ferris wheel is 38 meters high and has 24 gondolas. “The ride is seven years old. That’s not old for a Ferris wheel. I have one that is 30 years old.”