90 Injured after Ceiling Collapse at London Theater

Local Editor

Emergency crews said nearly 90 people were injured on Thursday after a section of ceiling collapsed during an evening performance at the Apollo Theater. While some of the injuries are serious, there have been no fatalities.

Medical officials said 88 people sustained injuries. Of the casualties, 81 have been described as "walking wounded," while seven others were transported to the hospital with serious wounds, mostly head injuries.

Nick Harding from London Fire Brigade said a section of plaster ceiling, measuring about 10 meters by 10 meters, had dropped onto the audience.

"The ceiling took parts of the balconies down with it," Harding said, as quoted by Reuters. "Everyone is out of the building and everyone is safe," he added.
Police were called at approximately 8:15 pm, arriving at the theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue in central London to find "a number of casualties." There have been no reported fatalities.

Witnesses told ITV News they could hear the ceiling creaking but had assumed it was part of the production.
"We thought it was part of the scene, it was a seaside scene, but then there was a lot of crashing noise and part of the roof caved in," said one man who identified himself only as Ben. "There was dust everywhere, everybody's covered in dust. We got out fairly quickly, I think everyone was quite panicked."

The accident occurred as some 720 people, many together with family, were watching the play "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time." Many theatre-goers were coughing and helping each other as they exited the building, with one man telling reporters he saw a "large bit of plasterwork" fall and shatter on a woman's head.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team