Fire breaks out at one of Sweden's largest water parks

Fire Gothernburg. ©Bjorn Larsson Rosvall/AP

A fire broke out Monday at a water park under construction in one of Scandinavia's largest amusement parks, sending a huge plume of black smoke drifting over Gothenburg.

The blaze in Sweden's second-largest city spread across several yet-to-be-opened waterslides at Liseberg Park.

Large parts of the tube waterslides were wrecked, including one with a drop of 13 metres.

Twelve people were sent to hospital for minor injuries, and police say one person is currently missing.

The cause is still unknown, but authorities say the fire is being investigated as a “workplace accident”.

The fire department urged people in the area affected by the smoke to stay indoors and close doors, windows and ventilation and listen to the local radio.

There were scores of fire vans and police cars on the scene.

A nearby hotel and office facilities were evacuated, the police said. At least three explosions sent debris from buildings scattered over the burning waterslides.

The fire broke out at the €9.8 million Oceana water park, which had been scheduled to open this summer.

Liseberg, in downtown Gothenburg, opened in 1923 and is a popular tourist destination with some 3 million visitors a year.

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© Euronews