LONDON — A theater in central London partially collapsed about an hour ago during a performance at the height of the Christmas season, with police saying there were “a number” of casualties.
It wasn’t immediately clear if the roof, ceiling or balcony collapsed at the Apollo Theatre during a performance of “The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Nighttime.”
Police said officers were called to reports of a ceiling collapse at the theater on Shaftsbury Avenue in central London. It said police “are aware of a number of casualties,” but had no further details.
Witnesses told British media that the theater in London’s famous West End was packed during the holiday season to see the show, which is based on the best-selling novel by Mark Haddon.
“We thought it was part of the show, until something hit me on the head very hard,” one man told the BBC, speaking from the foyer of the theater while he was being evaluated by emergency workers. “I thought we were all going to be in really, really serious trouble.”
“Within an instant, the entire roof caved in,” another witness told the BBC.
London’s fire department said eight engines are on the scene in the SoHo neighborhood, and the city’s ambulance service said it had sent “a number” of crews to the theater. (AP)
