The building catches fire in New Year’s pyrotechnic display.
Unexpected drama erupted in the Melbourne New Year’s fireworks show when the peak of the iconic Arts Centre spire was engulfed by flames.
Revellers at the scene were evacuated after malfunctioning fireworks launched from the structure set it alight at around 12.15am.
More than 100 onlookers called the fire brigade to report the incident. Twenty-five firefighters in seven trucks were dispatched but were delayed in their efforts to reach the site by the throngs of people gathered in Melbourne’s CBD. By 1.40am, the blaze had been extinguished from above.
Structural engineers will assess potential damage to the 162m-high spire. Melbourne’s Lord Mayor Robert Doyle has stated that damage was minimal and no one was injured.
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