Swedish amusement park Liseberg has announced it will rebuild the Oceana water park after a huge fire broke out at the new attraction.
Liseberg‘s board of directors held a meeting with the crisis management team on Friday afternoon. During the meeting, the board was told that the person reported missing, construction manager Patrik Gillholm, has been found dead.
“It is with great sorrow that the board has received the news that the fire most likely claimed Patrik Gillholm’s life,” said Kurt Eliasson, chairman of the board. “The loss of life puts everything into perspective, and our thoughts go to Patrik’s family and close friends.”
He added: “We have felt tremendous support from everyone involved. The love that the people of Gothenburg and all of Sweden have shown for the project and Liseberg during this difficult time has been invaluable.”
Eliasson said the devastating fire “will not stop the development of the destination Liseberg” as the park is “an important part of Gothenburg’s identity, and this project is a crucial component in the recovery of the West Swedish tourism industry”.
The board has unanimously agreed “to instruct Liseberg’s management to investigate and start planning for how a reconstruction can take place”, he added.
Missing person found dead after blaze
The blaze on 12 February engulfed the new water park‘s outdoor slides and other facilities under construction, eyewitnesses and rescue services said. One person was reported missing and 16 others were slightly injured.
Andreas Andersen, CEO of Liseberg, said the team is “shocked and deeply saddened, affected, and shaken by what has happened”.
“Over the past week, Liseberg’s crisis management team has been fully focused on the acute phase of the crisis. Now we are slowly moving forward, and as a unified board, we want to be clear about our intentions early on,” said Eliasson.
Images courtesy of Liseberg
