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New Year's Eve celebrations went badly wrong in Russia tonight when a giant Christmas tree caught fire in front of thousands of revellers.
The 80ft illuminated tree in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk turned into a blazing inferno and was destroyed in minutes.
Onlookers watched in horror as the devastating fire took hold in Lenin Square, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Sakhalin Island, Russia.
New Year revellers were warned to keep clear while Soviet-era music continued to blare from the festive concert.
There were no reports of injuries.