Las Vegas, the city of lights and lavish parties, was plunged into tragedy this morning. A 5-star hotel on the Las Vegas Strip suddenly burst into flames, a giant column of fire engulfing the top floors. Amidst the black smoke and continuous explosions, shocking news was confirmed: Robert Downey Jr. – the legendary star of Marvel and Hollywood – was trapped on the top floor, unable to escape.
Witnesses nearby recounted: “We heard a loud bang like a bomb, glass shattered, and red flames poured out from the top floor windows. Someone shouted loudly, ‘Robert Downey Jr. is up there!’. People were screaming and jostling to escape.” Paparazzi, who always stick close to the stars, immediately took pictures. Flash photos captured the moment fans covered their faces and cried, flashbulbs hit the billowing column of thick smoke, and police set up emergency barricades.
The sirens of fire trucks and ambulances blared. Firefighters desperately climbed the ladder to spray water, but the terrible heat bent the steel, and the windows were on fire like a volcano. An exhausted soldier choked: “We tried our best, but the fire was too fierce, we couldn’t reach the top floor in time.”
Paramedics waited on the ground, emergency equipment ready: stretchers, oxygen tanks, electric shock machines. When the rescue team finally brought Robert Downey Jr. out, the whole area fell silent. CPR, oxygen masks, electric shocks were performed continuously under the flashing red and blue lights. But the doctor on duty at the scene bowed his head and confirmed: “He didn’t make it.”
At Las Vegas Memorial Hospital, the ICU was lit up all night to receive dozens of other victims. The red alarm monitor sounded continuously, doctors raced against death, nurses shouted to each other in panic. Outside, thousands of fans crowded, holding up #PrayForRDJ banners and singing “Come With Me” from the Iron Man soundtrack, turning the hospital into a place of collective prayer. A “double incident” occurred: the barricade in front of the hospital collapsed when the crowd jostled, injuring many fans, forcing ambulances to turn back to take them to the emergency room.
The bad news spread like a storm. CNN, BBC, New York Times simultaneously reported: “Robert Downey Jr. died in Las Vegas hotel fire.” Chris Evans wrote on Twitter: “I lost a brother, the world lost a real-life Iron Man.” Mark Ruffalo choked up: “He was more than just a colleague, he was the soul of the Marvel family.” The US President spoke directly: “Robert Downey Jr. was more than just an actor, he was a symbol of rebirth and strength.”
Globally, grief spread. In New York, Times Square projected an image of Tony Stark/Iron Man, with the words “We Love You 3000” printed on the giant screen. In London, Tower Bridge turned off its lights in silence. In Tokyo, tens of thousands of fans cosplayed as Iron Man, lit candles and prayed. The hashtags #GoodbyeRDJ and #IronManForever exploded, quickly reaching billions of mentions on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.
Las Vegas night was shrouded in mourning. The scene of the fire turned into a pile of rubble, but outside, a sea of people still gathered, lit candles, and cried out his name. Paparazzi captured tragic photos: fans wearing Iron Man shirts kneeling on the rain-soaked street, tears mixed with flickering candlelight, white flowers covering the sidewalk.
The climax was the moment the coffin covered with the American flag and the red and yellow Iron Man mask was carried out of the hospital. The church bells rang long, tens of thousands of fans cried “I love you 3000”, turning Las Vegas into an unprecedented memorial service.
Robert Downey Jr. – from misfit to movie legend, from Hollywood star to immortal Iron Man – ended his great journey in a devastating fire. The world lost an icon, and the void he left behind will never be filled.
