More than 75 injured in partial London theater collapse

At least 76 people were injured - seven of them seriously - in a roof collapse at a packed London theater on Thursday.

A section of the theater's ceiling collapsed and took parts of its balconies down with it, sending plaster, wood and debris crashing onto an audience of 700 watching a performance of "The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time" at the Apollo theater.

Officials said most of the injured were "walking wounded" with upper-body injuries, and that all are conscious and breathing.

Kevin Brown, Assistant Director of Operations, London Ambulance Service said on Thursday night there were no fatalities and that none of the injuries were believed to be life-threatening.

Westminster Chief Superintendent Paul Rickett said there was no evidence to suggest that the collapse was the result of criminal activity.
"We are keeping an open mind. The investigation is ongoing, " he said.

London Fire Brigade's Deputy Assistant Commissioner Graham confirmed that "heavy ornate plastering" fell on top of theatre goers.

"It's fallen from the roof level, so above the Upper Circle, if you like. It's fallen down to the Upper Circle, the Dress Circle and the Stalls," he said.

Dust-covered theatregoers, many with bandaged heads, were treated by dozens of emergency workers in the street outside the Apollo and at a nearby theatre on Thursday night.

City buses were commandeered to usher some of the wounded to hospitals.

Injuries ranged from head wounds to cuts and scrapes to breathing problems.

Initially, London Ambulance Service said more than 80 people had been injured.

But noting that the initial situation was confusing, it later adjusted that number to say it had treated 76 patients, 58 of whom were taken to hospitals.

Of those, 51 had suffered minor injuries and seven had suffered serious injuries.

The fire department said no one was trapped in the theatre, explaining that rescuers had helped evacuate some theatregoers who had been trapped by the nature of their injuries.

Shaftesbury Avenue, normally one of London's busiest streets and teeming with pedestrians, was completely shut down by emergency workers.

The Apollo Theatre, named for the Greek and Roman god of music and the arts, was built in 1901 and has 775 seats.

The show, which is aimed at young people as well as adults, is about a boy with Asperger Syndrome who sets out to solve a crime.

Nimax Theatres, which owns the Apollo, described the incident as "shocking and upsetting" and said an investigation into what caused the ceiling collapse is under way.


AP