Fire at Highfield Festival leaves over 20 injured

A fire broke out in two gondolas of a Ferris wheel late Saturday evening at the Highfield Festival near Leipzig. More than 20 people were injured. Intensive investigative work is underway as officials try to determine the exact circumstances of the incident.

"A fire expert has been at the festival grounds since the early morning hours and has begun the investigation," a police spokeswoman said, quoted by the DPA agency. "Currently, the most important thing is determining how the accident could have occurred."

On Saturday evening around 9 PM ET, one of the Ferris wheel's 24 gondolas caught fire. The fire quickly spread to the second gondola.

Investigators are still working to determine precisely what happened during those few minutes. According to information provided by the police, at least 23 people were injured. Four of them suffered burns, and one person sustained injuries from a fall. The remaining victims, including rescuers and at least four police officers, were examined in a hospital for possible smoke inhalation.

The day after the fire, the police could not provide any information on the condition of the injured, their ages, or genders. The spokeswoman emphasized that the exact number of injured has not yet been definitively determined.

The rock and pop festival by Lake Stoermthal, attended by around 30,000 guests, was interrupted for about two hours. The event then resumed, reports the "Welt" newspaper portal.