Probe into the persisting blaze in the colossal festival wheel remains ongoing
After the blaze at the colossal Ferris wheel during Highfield Festival in Leipzig, the authorities are still probing into the incident's origins. The authorities have no sign of arson as stated by their spokesperson.
At present, the police are leaning towards the notion that the blaze was an accident. Any mechanical fault in the Ferris wheel has been dismissed as the culprit. They're urgently looking for witnesses to establish any potential negligence. The hypothesis that a cigarette might have sparked the fire was debunked by the law enforcement.
At around 21:00 on Saturday, one of the 24 Ferris wheel cabins burst into flames, before the blaze spread to another cabin. The event temporarily halted the festivities for approximately two hours.
As per the Ferris wheel's operator, standing at 38 meters high, the fire broke out during a passenger swap. But interestingly, there were no passengers inside at the time.
In total, 65 individuals required medical attention following the incident. Amongst these, 16 were hospitalized, including four with burn injuries and one with injuries due to a fall.
Some of the wounded, including emergency personnel and at least four policemen, underwent examination for possible smoke inhalation. There were no fatalities reported.
The police warn that the investigation could extend over several weeks, if not months.
Despite the absence of arson signs, the authorities are still investigating the Festival's Ferris wheel incident thoroughly. To shed more light on the incident, they are urgently seeking witnesses to establish any potential negligence or overlooked factors.
