To escape the flames, some people on the trailer of the Glottertal carnival group’s float jumped from the vehicle. According to the city of Kehl, the fire broke out inside a tank that represented a boat. According to the police, the latter suffered heavy damage due to fire.
One person was airlifted to a hospital with serious injuries, the city said. Still according to the municipality, the helicopter was initially unable to land at the emergency site, but circled in the air before finally diverting to Sundheim airfield. The burnt tank was evacuated shortly after 5pm.
Police open investigation
According to police, the fire was caused by an explosion of a generator on the tank, which occurred shortly after 3 pm. Firefighters quickly brought the blaze under control, police said. The number of casualties is not known at this time. Kehal police are investigating.
If the parade had been disrupted, the city management and the Kehl Carnival Promotion Association would have agreed that music broadcasts and the sale of drinks and food could continue in and around the market square until 6 pm. Town Hall.
Jan Fritz, a resident of the neighborhood, describes what happened around 3:00 p.m.: “We heard an explosion, then suddenly it started burning. The fire brigade, police and ambulance arrived immediately. People were first evacuated, then the fire was brought under control. was put out.” Firefighters asked onlookers to leave the scene quickly.
Frequent accidents
Carnival processions are regularly the scene of events, sometimes serious. In Eppingen in 2018, an 18-year-old girl was held over a cauldron of hot water by a group dressed as witches during a carnival parade. The girl was injured in her leg. The cauldron, which was on a cart pulled by carnival people, was heated by a wood stove.
In 2017, a 26-year-old woman was providing security in front of a tractor during a carnival parade in Hambrucken, near Karlsruhe. The girl was thrown and was hit by the vehicle. His vital prognosis was then in jeopardy.
Also in 2017, a 21-year-old fell off a carnival float in Markt Indersdorf, Upper Bavaria. During the parade, he fell head first from a height of four meters and was seriously injured.
