BREAKING NEWS | London’s Apollo Theatre Ceiling Collapses, 30+ Injured

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Unfortunately, the ceiling dome at the Apollo Theatre in London’s West End has collapsed, injuring an estimated 30+ people.  The Apollo was having a performance of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and around 8:15-ish, some crackling noises were heard and the ceiling came down on top of theatregoers.

We hope that everyone is ok, and we’ll report as much as we can find about the incident.  Roxy and I are sending our best positive karma to the Apollo Theatre right now.  There’s some crazy tweets coming out of London:

From The Guardian:

People left the building crying, coughing and helping each other away. Many were trying to make contact with family members as some were still trapped inside the building.

One 29-year-old man, who would only give his name as Ben, said: “It was about halfway through the first half of the show and there was a lot of creaking.

“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. There was dust everywhere; everybody’s covered in dust.

“We got out fairly quickly, I think everyone was quite panicked.”

A 38-year-old said: “We were in the stalls. It’s a balcony that’s come off. Some of the structure’s come down.”

Police were on the scene within minutes and began cordoning off the theatre.

London fire brigade confirmed that eight fire engines had been sent to the scene.

Martin Bostock, who was in the audience at the Grade II listed theatre with his family, said he suffered a head injury after he was hit by falling debris.

He told Sky News: “I was in the lower stalls with my family in the early stages of the show. It was just terrifying and awful.

“I think the front part of the balcony fell down. At first we thought it was part of the show. Then I got hit on the head.”

From Reuters:

(Reuters) – Emergency services were called to London’s Apollo Theatre on Thursday after people were injured by falling masonry, police said.

“We are aware of casualties,” a police spokesman said.

A Reuters reporter at the scene said emergency vehicles had blocked off the street where the theater is located.

A witness told Sky Television that part of a balcony in the auditorium appeared to have collapsed.

“I think the front part of the balcony fell down,” Martin Bostock, who was in the audience, told Sky. “It was hard to see anything through the dust.”

The Apollo is currently showing The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

(Reporting by William Schomberg; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

Update, 5:01pm EST Thursday, 12/19/2013 — all those trapped under the ceiling in the Apollo have been freed:


Some news footage:

Let’s hope that everyone’s ok, there haven’t been any reports of fatalities.

photo credit

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