The guests to the festival in Bavaria’s capital drank one million mugs of beer on Saturday and Sunday, according to organizers, and chewed their way through tens of thousands of sausages. Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter opened the 181st edition of the beer festival on Saturday by tapping the first keg. The Red Cross is deployed to help the sick and the injured and treated more than 700 patients on the first day of the festival, up 30 per cent from last year. Most of the patients suffered minor injuries, such as cuts, but 19 people were treated for alcohol poisoning. About six million people are expected to visit Oktoberfest during the 16-day event.

sc / at (dpa)