A FIREWORKS show turned into chaos after a display went horribly wrong, raining fire from the sky and sparking apocalyptic scenes.
The terrifying incident took place at the Sky Theatre in China on October 2, sending panicked crowds fleeing for cover as flames lit up the night.
The fireworks performance quickly turned into a sight resembling Armageddon.[/caption]
According to the administration, the fire was extinguished within minutes.[/caption]
Attendees could be seen using chairs as umbrellas as they attempted to take cover from the spectacle turned meteor shower.
Videos circulating on social media also revealed that the incident caused small fires to spring up across the surrounding city of Liuyang, located within the Hunan Province.
However, local news sources have reported that these were extinguished within minutes of setting alight.
Officials have also confirmed that no one was injured in the melee.
Authorities set up a mile-long evacuation zone as fire rained down on attendees, while extra firefighters have since been deployed to prevent another disaster.
Nevertheless, the Liuyang Bureau of Culture and Tourism warned that the dry weather could easily have caused the incendiary mishap to spark a larger blaze on the ground.
Social media users were quick to weigh in on the incident, with one commenting: “What a man-made disaster!”
Officials have since confirmed that no one was injured in the melee.
The show, titled “October: The Sound of Blooming Flowers,” aimed to generate a 3D visual effect with the help of drones over land and the nearby water.
Liuyang, known as the “hometown of fireworks”, regularly hosts huge pyrotechnic displays near the city’s river.
In January, China Daily reported that more than 160,000 people travelled to witness their New Year’s celebrations the month prior.
However, for unknown reasons, the performance turned into a terrifying inferno, adding to China’s growing list of combustible controversies.
Back in September, outdoor fashion brand Arc’teryx set off hundreds of small fireworks in the mountainous village of Re Long, Tibet, as part of a collaboration with Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang.
The display placed hundreds of incendiary devices at various points along a 3,000-meter pathway up the Tibetan mountain, creating a snake-like pattern.
The display’s crescendo, “golden dragon” stretched for 2,500 meters.
Live-streamed online, the showcase was quickly clipped and shared across social media channels, gathering some 2 million views on Chinese social media platform Weibo.
However, despite artist Cai’s extensive efforts to make the display friendly, using biodegradable materials and relocating livestock and wildlife before setting it off, his work sparked immediate backlash.
Chinese netizens claimed that the stunt disrespected the sacred mountains surrounding Re Long, dubbed “the hometown of Mt Everest,” with critics labelling the campaign as tone-deaf and arrogant.
The local government were also heavily criticised for letting the display go ahead, with authorities since launching an investigation into the matter.
Following the backlash, Cai’s studio and Arc’teryx both published statements apologising for the event.
While neither of these recent incidents has ended in tragedy, these back-to-back blunders have reignited debate over whether spectacle is really worth the risk.
Sparks fell directly onto the crowd in attendance at the Sky Theatre.[/caption]
The pyrotechnics quickly went out of control during Thursday evening’s show.[/caption]
The incident sparked mass panic among those in the surrounding province of Hunan.[/caption]
