Meter-high fire, the smoke visible from far away: In the western town of “Pullman City” in Eging am See in the Passau district, several buildings went up in flames on Sunday. According to police, the fire broke out in the restaurant area around 6 a.m. and was under control by midday.
Police assume millions in damage
A large part of the wooden buildings that caught fire were destroyed, and initial estimates put millions in damage. Two people were slightly injured – a park employee trying to extinguish the fire and a firefighter.
Since around 180 visitors were staying overnight in the western town at the time of the fire, the hotels had to be evacuated by park employees. Fortunately, the hotels were largely spared from the flames. In total, the fire destroyed around a third of the so-called Main Street – including the Music Hall, the main building, where a concert with a rock band took place yesterday.
Smoke from the rubble
Firefighters fought the flames for hours. In daylight, only the skeletons of the houses remained standing in some places, with thick smoke billowing from the rubble.
“I could cry for an hour now, completely. But that doesn’t help. We have to look forward now,” said the amusement park’s managing director, Claus Six, to the German Press Agency. “It looks like a bomb has hit.”
The cause of the fire is still unclear
The cause of the fire was initially unclear, but the Passau criminal police are investigating. According to a police spokeswoman, employees initially tried to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher. But that didn’t work.