A ferris wheel caught fire late Saturday at the Highfield Festival on the outskirts of Leipzig, in the eastern German state of Saxony, resulting in over 30 injuries, according to police reports. The German Red Cross confirmed that two of the injured individuals are in serious condition.
The fire broke out around 9 p.m. local time (1900 UTC/GMT), initially igniting in one of the passenger cars before spreading to a neighboring car. Thick smoke was seen billowing from the ferris wheel as festival-goers looked on in shock.
While most of the injuries were reportedly mild cases of smoke inhalation, police stated that four individuals suffered burn injuries, and one person was injured from a fall. Among the injured were four police officers.
Emergency services, including a rescue helicopter, were deployed to the scene to assist with the operation. The exact cause of the fire remains unclear, and investigations are ongoing.
