New water park explodes into massive fireball in Sweden

A soon to open water park has been partially destroyed after a fire which started on an attraction tore through a new building.

A firefighter is seen on an aerial ladder platform as a fire engulfs a structure of the Oceana Waterworld at the Liseberg Amusement Park in Gothenburg, Sweden on February 12, 2024. (Photo by Born LARSSON ROSVALL / TT News Agency / AFP)

A raging inferno erupted at a new water park in Sweden with flames decimating a number of under-construction outdoor water slides and related facilities, authorities said.

The massive blaze ripped through several yet-to-be-opened water slides on Monday (Swedish time), including one with a drop of 13 metre, at the Oceana watermark in Gothenburg — sending plumes of black smoke over Sweden’s second-largest city.

Billows of smoke are picture at a structure of the Oceana Waterworld at the Liseberg Amusement Park in Gothenburg, Sweden on February 12, 2024. (Photo by Born LARSSON ROSVALL / TT News Agency / AFP)

Harrowing footage shot by witnesses showed the slides, which had been scheduled to open in the coming months, engulfed by flames as several firefighting vehicles descended on the area, reported the New York Post.

At least three explosions sent debris from nearby buildings scattering over the burning water slides.

The watermark is a new addition to Gothenburg’s Liseberg funfair — one of the Nordic region’s biggest amusement parks.

“The fire started at one of the water rides outside the building and then spread to the entire building,” Liseberg said in a statement.

A firefighter is seen on an aerial ladder platform as a fire engulfs a structure of the Oceana Waterworld at the Liseberg Amusement Park in Gothenburg, Sweden on February 12, 2024. (Photo by Born LARSSON ROSVALL / TT News Agency / AFP)

A building was destroyed. (Photo by Born LARSSON ROSVALL / TT News Agency / AFP)

There were no immediate reports of any injuries, police and fire officials said.

A subcontractor had been doing some installations when the blaze started, a spokeswoman for NCC group, which is the general contractor for the construction, told Swedish broadcaster SVT.

The fire department had urged those living in the vicinity to stay inside and to keep windows closed to protect against the fumes and thick black smoke.

Nearby hotel and office facilities were evacuated, the park and police said.

This story appeared in thew New York Post and is reproduced with permission.