---
title: "Water Park Explodes"
description: "An under-construction water park caught fire and exploded in Gothenburg, Sweden today. Fortunately, nobody was seriously hurt."
date: "2024-02-12"
modified: "2024-02-12"
authors:
  - name: "Victor Tangermann"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/water-park-explodes-sweden"
categories:
  - "Future Society"
tags:
  - "sweden"
  - "the digest"
  - "theme park"
---

# Water Park Explodes

![An under-construction water park caught fire and exploded in Gothenburg, Sweden today. Fortunately, nobody was seriously hurt.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/water-park-explodes-sweden.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: BJORN LARSSON ROSVALL/TT News Agency/AFP via Getty Images\</em\>*

## Fire and Water

Dramatic footage of an under-construction water park catching fire and exploding is circulating on social media.

One [video](<https://www.reddit.com/r/CatastrophicFailure/comments/1aoxnh7/water_park_under_construction_catches_fire_and/>) making the rounds shows massive clouds of black smoke billowing from a flaming water slide. At one point, a visible explosion sends debris flying.

The tragedy took place earlier today in Gothenburg, Sweden, at the Oceana waterpark, a new addition to an amusement facility at the city's Liseberg amusement park.

It's still unclear what actually caused the blaze.

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

https://twitter.com/TheInsiderPaper/status/1757053908252234234/

## In Flames

Fortunately, no serious injuries have been reported, [per *Reuters*](<https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/fire-breaks-out-swedish-amusement-park-no-injuries-reported-2024-02-12/>), but police noted that one man was missing and 12 people were mildly injured. A nearby hotel was evacuated and law enforcement [warned people in the area to stay indoors](<https://www.dw.com/en/large-fire-breaks-out-at-swedens-biggest-amusement-park/a-68236412>) due to smoke.

The Oceana addition reportedly cost $10.6 million to build and was set to feature 14 water attractions, covering almost 150,000 square feet. However, it was "completely destroyed" according to [Swedish newspaper *Aftonbladet*](<https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/4oMMqq/brand-vid-liseberg>). Only the steel structure of the burnt-down water slide remains.

"It feels very tragic, it really does," architect Gert Wingård told the newspaper, as translated by Google. "It's always tragic when accidents happen and this was quite close to the inauguration as well."

**More on fire:** *[Man Sets Record for Fastest 100-Meter Sprint While on Fire](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/man-record-fastest-sprint-fire>)*

## Author
I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/vtanger.bsky.social>)