‘Eternal’ Flame Goes Out on Live TV

A US TV station has captured the moment an ‘eternal’ flame at Martin Luther King Junior’s grave went out on live television — just as the country celebrated the human rights pioneer’s 83rd birthday.

The unexpected hitch happened when an evening news reporter from station WXIA-TV was doing a live cross from outside the Martin Luther King Jr. Center in Atlanta.

The anchor was describing the activities lined up to celebrate the Martin Luther King Day holiday, but just as the camera panned over the eternal flame it suddenly extinguished itself.

A short time later the flame was re-lit and burning again, the UK’s Daily Mail reported the TV station as saying.

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The company which supplies gas to the flame, Atlanta Gas Light, has reportedly had trouble keeping the flame burning since installing a new cauldron in 2009.

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