King Kong statue bursts into flames at Vietnam movie premiere
A gigantic statue of King Kong went up in flames Thursday during the film premiere of “Kong: Skull Island” in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, panicking attendees who fled the scene.
According to VN Express and other news outlets, the blaze started when a fire dancer dropped his torch to the ground, tearing down jungle-themed decorations and a 16-foot statue of King Kong.
However, Sky News reported that the fire was caused by a malfunctioning makeshift-volcano eruption.
A massive gorilla statue burst into flames at the Vietnamese premier of Kong: #SkullIsland after fire from a model volcano began to spread pic.twitter.com/2mMo3AWeg9
— Sky News (@SkyNews) March 10, 2017
Panic and fright ensued among moviegoers, who filmed the entire inferno and posted it on social media.
Firefighters extinguished the place in 15 minutes and attendees returned to watch the blockbuster. No injuries were reported.
A Vietnamese official from Warner Bros, the movie’s company, issued a statement to The Hollywood Reporter regarding the incident, “There was a small fire at an outdoor atrium at CGV Cinema in Ho Chi Minh City during a Kong: Skull Island opening event. We are very grateful that no one was hurt.”
“Kong: Skull Island,” which was predominantly shot in Vietnam and was set in post-Vietnam war era, stars Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, Brie Larson, and John Reilly. Gianna Francesca Catolico /ra
RELATED STORIES
The sound and the fury: Creating ‘Kong’ of ‘Skull Island’
WATCH: Kong: Skull Island last official trailer released
