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The premiere of the latest Kong blockbuster in Ho Chi Minh City went up in flames on Thursday evening as movie-goers were forced to flee a raging fire outside a local theater.
A VND1 billion ($43,500) stage outside the theater, including a 5 meter statue of Kong himself, was destroyed by the fire in District 7, but no injuries were immediately reported.
The incident happened at the opening of the premiere at 7:05 p.m. when dancers were performing around a fire on a stage next to the theater.
The scene quickly blew up into chaos, leaving people scrambling to escape. The fire was brought under control in 15 minutes.
Vo Trong Nam, deputy director of Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Culture and Information, a guest at the ceremony, declined to comment.
The premiere was attended by Vietnamese officials and U.S. consular officials in Vietnam, among others. The guests were ushered into the cinema following the incident to enjoy the blockbuster.
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The stage before the fire. |
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Kong on fire. |
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People are rushed away from the scene. |
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Firefighters arrived 10 minutes after the fire broke. |
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What's left of Kong after the fire. |
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Despite the fire, the movie screening at 7:30 p.m. went on as scheduled. |
Photos by VnExpress/Quynh Tran
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