Almost 90 people have been reported injured, seven seriously, after the roof collapsed in the middle of a performance at the central London theater Thursday night. Eyewitnesses reported hearing 'a crackling' sound just before it fell around 8:15 p.m.
Eighty-eight people are reported injured, seven seriously, after a structural collapse Thursday evening at the Apollo Theatre in London.
A London Fire spokesperson confirmed that a portion of the theater's ceiling collapsed at the central London theater around 8:15 p.m. GMT during a performance of “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.”
A fire official told CNN that the portion, about 33 feet by 33 feet, fell onto the balcony and the ground-floor seats, five stories below.
He described the ceiling as being glass, but did not say if that was the portion that fell. The cause is currently under investigation.
“We believe around 720 people were in the theatre at the time,” a London Fire Bridge spokesman said in an earlier statement. “A section of the theatre’s ceiling collapsed onto the audience who were watching the show. The ceiling took parts of the balconies down with it.”
None of the injuries are reported to be life-threatening.
Initial reports by witnesses claimed that it was only the balcony that fell.
The spokesman described there being around 80 walking wounded, many of whom have head injuries.
Police told the Guardian that no fatalities have been reported. Initially trapped guests have also since been freed, the Associated Press reported around 9:30 p.m. GMT.
An eyewitness told the BBC she heard "a crackling" sound just before the collapse, about 40 minutes into the production.
One theater-goer, whose suit was seen covered in dirt, compared the collapse to a bomb going off.
"The ceiling came down, a lot of dust, chandelier, wood and all that sort of stuff landed on about five or six rows," he told ITV.
Another theater-goer told the station: "It was a seaside scene, but then there was a lot of crashing noise and part of the roof caved in. There was dust everywhere; everybody's covered in dust."
Martin Bostock, who was enjoying the show with his family, told Sky News “the front part of the balcony fell down.
“At first we thought it was part of the show, it was very dramatic,” he said. “We got out with cuts and bruises, I think most people did.”
At least eight fire engines have responded, a London Fire Brigade spokesman told The Guardian.
Several people were taken to the nearby White Horse pub, and the walking wounded were taken out to waiting ambulances, the paper reported.
Witnesses described seeing survivors walking out covered in dust and debris.
The theatre, which first opened its doors in 1901, holds about 775 people, 134 of which are seated on the balcony, according to the Apollo website.
The balcony, on the third tier, “is considered to be the steepest in London.”
Eighty-eight people are reported injured, seven seriously, after a structural collapse Thursday evening at the Apollo Theatre in London.
A London Fire spokesperson confirmed that a portion of the theater's ceiling collapsed at the central London theater around 8:15 p.m. GMT during a performance of “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.”
A fire official told CNN that the portion, about 33 feet by 33 feet, fell onto the balcony and the ground-floor seats, five stories below.
He described the ceiling as being glass, but did not say if that was the portion that fell. The cause is currently under investigation.
“We believe around 720 people were in the theatre at the time,” a London Fire Bridge spokesman said in an earlier statement. “A section of the theatre’s ceiling collapsed onto the audience who were watching the show. The ceiling took parts of the balconies down with it.”
None of the injuries are reported to be life-threatening.
Initial reports by witnesses claimed that it was only the balcony that fell.
The spokesman described there being around 80 walking wounded, many of whom have head injuries.
Police told the Guardian that no fatalities have been reported. Initially trapped guests have also since been freed, the Associated Press reported around 9:30 p.m. GMT.
An eyewitness told the BBC she heard "a crackling" sound just before the collapse, about 40 minutes into the production.
One theater-goer, whose suit was seen covered in dirt, compared the collapse to a bomb going off.
"The ceiling came down, a lot of dust, chandelier, wood and all that sort of stuff landed on about five or six rows," he told ITV.
Another theater-goer told the station: "It was a seaside scene, but then there was a lot of crashing noise and part of the roof caved in. There was dust everywhere; everybody's covered in dust."
Martin Bostock, who was enjoying the show with his family, told Sky News “the front part of the balcony fell down.
“At first we thought it was part of the show, it was very dramatic,” he said. “We got out with cuts and bruises, I think most people did.”
At least eight fire engines have responded, a London Fire Brigade spokesman told The Guardian.
Several people were taken to the nearby White Horse pub, and the walking wounded were taken out to waiting ambulances, the paper reported.
Witnesses described seeing survivors walking out covered in dust and debris.
The theatre, which first opened its doors in 1901, holds about 775 people, 134 of which are seated on the balcony, according to the Apollo website.
The balcony, on the third tier, “is considered to be the steepest in London.”
