A fire broke out during a carnival parade in Kehl in Baden-Württemberg. Several people were injured, one of them seriously. How the accident could have happened is now being investigated by the police.
The day after a car burned at the carnival parade in Kehl (Ortenaukreis), the police now know of eight people who were injured as a result of the fire. In the middle of the ongoing parade, a car designed as a pirate ship burst into flames on Sunday. Several people on the car escaped from the flames by jumping onto the street. A seriously injured person had to be flown by rescue helicopter to a special clinic with burns, but his life is not in danger. According to police, the number of injured could increase.
Glottertäler Winzerbube’s carnival float burned out during a big parade in Kehl
The day after, a trace of fuel is removed from the scene of the fire. Authorities are continuing to investigate how the accident occurred. It is unclear what led to the deflagration of a generator on the car of a carnival group from Glottertal (Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald district). Was the generator in question actually in operation when the fire broke out or were other electrical devices being used? Was an operating error or a technical defect the cause? The investigators now have to clarify such questions.
The content of the following film from SWR Aktuell is as of February 4, 2024, 8 p.m.:
Residents reported detonation
The moving truck caught fire as it turned onto the main street near the Rebstock Hotel, the police said. The fire broke out in the interior of the car, which represented a ship. Witnesses reported a loud bang that could be heard at the starting point of the parade floats. “You heard a detonation and then it suddenly started burning here,” said resident Jan Fritzsche to SWR. Then the fire brigade and rescue workers arrived quickly. Many participants wanted to save their cars. “But then the fire department said: Get out of here!”
Fire department praises behavior of moving guests
Several people jumped from the burning car onto the street to save themselves. It is currently unknown how many people were on the moving van at the time. According to the fire department, spectators reacted calmly by moving aside to make room for helpers.
More on the reaction of Kehl’s mayor Wolfram Britz (independent) in the audio:
City kept music going until 6 p.m
The procession, which tens of thousands of people watched from the side of the road, was canceled. In the so-called fool’s village on the Kehler market square and in the area in front of the town hall, the music and the sale of drinks should continue until 6 p.m. The city said that this was agreed so that chaos would not break out. In the evening there was consternation in Kehl, but also relief that something worse hadn’t happened.
Tens of thousands attend the Kehler parade every year
In the event of a mass panic, many more people could have been injured, as tens of thousands of onlookers gather on the side of the road for the carnival parade in Kehl. According to Mayor Wolfram Britz (independent), the reaction of the group of fools from Glottertal to the fire of their carnival float on Sunday in Kehl prevented anything worse from happening. The members reacted very prudently, said the Kehler town hall boss. The incident was unprecedented, Britz said. “There has never been such an accident in Kehl.”
The police were unable to provide any information on Sunday about the amount of property damage caused by the fire. The officers from the Kehl police station began the investigation. The moving truck was secured.
A car caught fire during a carnival parade in Kehl (Ortenaukreis) on Sunday.
Broadcast on Monday, February 5, 2024 6:00 a.m., SWR4 BW in the morning, SWR4 Baden-Württemberg