Four people suffered burns and one was injured in a fall after a gondola caught fire during rapper Ski Ago's concert in Highfield.
ferris wheel A fire broke out at the Highfield music festival in Leipzig, Germany, on Saturday, injuring at least 30 people.
The incident occurred at around 9 p.m. local time while German rapper Ski Ago was on stage. The rapper later said on social media that he was asked to continue his performance despite the fire being visible within striking distance.
“I was shocked and deeply disturbed by the Ferris wheel fire during my show at Highfield,” Agu wrote. “I was told through my headset that under no circumstances should I stop the show, but that I should first continue to talk to you to avoid a mass panic. The priority was to prevent the situation from escalating further. Thankfully, that worked.”
Initial investigations concluded that the fire started in an empty gondola car and then spread to a neighboring gondola car. The cause of the fire had not been determined as of Sunday.
Two of the 30 people injured suffered unspecified serious injuries, while four others suffered burns in the incident. The German Red Cross said one person also suffered injuries from a fall, while most of the remaining injuries were caused by smoke inhalation.
“Those affected are receiving treatment and are fine given the circumstances. We are working closely with firefighters, police, rescue services and medical services,” Highfield Festival organisers said in a statement (via The Independent). “We will cordon off the Ferris wheel accordingly and then continue operations as planned.”
This year's Highfield Festival, one of Germany's biggest music festivals, features the following headline bands: Rise Against – whose show was delayed on Saturday due to a Ferris wheel fire – and Macklemore, as well as Mando Daio, Flogging Molly, Less Than Jake, The Kooks and more.
