A Giant King Kong Statue Burst into Flames at a Movie Premiere in Vietnam

The problem with throwing a lavish movie premiere with torch-wielding fire dancers and a simulated erupting volcano is that when the whole scene catches on fire, attendees may think it’s part of the show. At least, that’s what happened at the Vietnamese premiere of Kong: Skull Island in Ho Chi Minh City.

The decorations, which included an enormous statue of Kong, went ablaze while some dancers were performing with torches on a stage set up near the theater entrance. 

AFP reports that the owners of the Vivo City shopping mall, where the event was held, believe the fire was started by a torch left behind by a dancer, but Sky News claims that the fake volcano sparked the blaze when fire shot out to dazzle attendees upon arrival.

Whatever the source, the fire quickly caught and spread to the gorilla sculpture and other parts of the mall. Initially, partygoers were wowed and watched amazed, but as the 16-foot statue was engulfed in flames, they ran for safety, staying just close enough to record the calamity on their phones. 

Fire crews arrived on the scene and extinguished the flaming monster in about 15 minutes, which is a lot shorter than it takes for Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, and Samuel L. Jackson to defeat King Kong in the new movie, which was mostly filmed in Vietnam. 

There were reportedly no injuries among attendees, which included representatives from the American consulate, as well as Vietnamese diplomats and celebrities.