According to the police, the fire in Europa-Park in Rust was most likely caused by a technical defect. However, reliable assessments of this should take a few weeks of work, the investigators said on Tuesday. The fire broke out on Monday afternoon in a technical room at the “Yomi Magical World of Diamonds” attraction. Two firefighters were slightly injured.
A large number of firefighters brought the fire under control on Monday evening. According to district fire chief Bernhard Frei, more than 450 fire brigade, rescue service and police forces were deployed.
At the time the fire broke out, about 25,000 people were in Europa-Park. Two park visitors had to be treated by helpers from the rescue service. According to the police, however, the fire itself was less of a problem for you than the high temperatures. “The security mechanisms – such as fire alarms and alarm plans – have worked smoothly according to the current status,” the police said. The visitors were addressed directly and asked to leave the park.
According to eyewitnesses, this happened calmly and without panic. Employees would have sent people to the exit, said Moritz Panter of the German Press Agency. “I think they responded really well.” You could tell that most of them were nervous, but they had everything under control. In particular, the affected area was cordoned off very quickly. “Some people got scared,” said his companion Nadine Leuthner. In view of the crowds of visitors, however, these were isolated cases.
In 2018 there had already been a major fire in Rust
The park was cleared quickly and orderly, the family business said. The overnight guests were therefore able to return to the hotels promptly. Europa-Park initially did not provide any information about the extent of the damage.
On Tuesday morning, the amusement park in Rust north of Freiburg opened its doors to visitors again as usual. A spokeswoman for the park said that all offers such as the “Rulantica” water attraction and the hotels would be offered regularly. Only the areas around the fire are not accessible.
Europa-Park is Germany’s largest amusement park. Last year, more than six million people came to the facility with roller coasters and other attractions in the Ortenau district near the German-French border – that was a record.
There had already been a major fire there on May 26, 2018: Most of the thematic areas of Scandinavia and Holland had fallen victim to the flames. Restaurants, shops and the “Pirates in Batavia” ride were destroyed. According to the public prosecutor, the fire was caused by a technical defect and caused millions in damage.