The fire started early on Saturday evening. 50ft flames were leaping into the air. Rehearsals for a popular show “Immer Wieder Sundays” were taking place in the grounds at the time. Clouds of smoke were seen from miles around. Flames destroyed the ‘The Pirates of Batavia’ attraction and the ‘Scandinavia’ area at the theme park was evacuated. Emergency services rushed to the scene. Initial reports suggest no-one has been hurt. A police spokesman reportedly said several rides as well as a warehouse were burning. Thousands of people were evacuated. It was said more than 25,000 people ran for their lives.
Big fire at Europa Park in Germany
Some 250 firefighters tackled the blaze, finally managing to extinguish it on Sunday morning. Some firefighters had been “lightly injured” but all had been able to leave hospital. Most of the park has reopened Sunday. Parts of the Dutch and Scandinavian-themed areas have been extensively damaged and remain closed. Europa-Park’s chief executive Michael Mack said on Twitter that it had been a “sad day” for the park. The police said that they will now investigate the cause of the fire as part of a criminal investigation.The park attracted around 5.7 million visitors last year.
