Flames ripped through Kuwait's new opera house on Monday, just three months after the futuristic $770-million venue opened to the public. 

A thick plume of black smoke rose from the waterfront Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Cultural Centre, television footage showed. 

Firefighters on a crane sprayed water onto the building, a structure covered with geometric Islamic patterns. 

Broadway musical "Cats" was due to open there on Thursday, according to the center's website. ---Reuters 

Source :NNA