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SMOKE bombs set off during a contestant’s performance at the Best Village La Reine Rive Self-Expression and Talent semi-finals on September 6 forced the evacuation of the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts (SAPA) and cut short the event.

The devices released thick, pungent smoke that quickly filled the auditorium, causing several patrons to faint. They were taken by ambulance to the San Fernando General Hospital, while others experienced eye irritation, coughing, and mild respiratory distress.

A livestream of the show, broadcast by WACK Radio 90.1 FM, was also abruptly halted.