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Germany: 11 injured after ghost train ride catches fire

October 13, 2024

At the festival in northwestern Germany, a ghost train ride caught fire, but the flames were quickly extinguished.

https://p.dw.com/p/4ljs2
Gallimarkt in Leer, Germany
Emergency services set up a screen at the Gallimarkt in Leer when a fire broke outImage: Lars Penning/dpa/picture alliance

Eleven people were injured Sunday when a ghost train ride called "Zombie" caught fire at a festival in the town of Leer in the northwestern German state of Lower Saxony, police said.

Three people were taken to the hospital with injuries after the ride incident at the Gallimarkt, a centuries-old folk festival which dates back to 1508.

According to the police, the injured include at least four employees who suffered smoke inhalation and one person who was in shock. 

Gallimarkt in Leer, Germany
Leer's Gallimarkt has 19 large rides and about 250 market stallsImage: Lars Penning/dpa/picture alliance

Police said the flames were quickly extinguished and that an investigation was underway, without saying what caused the fire or how much damage it caused.

City officials had previously said they expected about half a million people to attend the carnival, which was well attended on Sunday because of the sunny weather.

The Gallimarkt was once a cattle market. It is still part of today's fair, which attracts visitors with 19 large rides and about 250 market stalls around the town center.

dh/wd (dpa, NDR)