LONDON, (Reuters) – Emergency services said nearly 90 people were injured yesterday when part of the ceiling collapsed during a performance at a packed London theatre, bringing the city’s West End entertainment district to a standstill.
The audience was showered with masonry and debris following the incident at the Apollo Theatre, where about 720 people including many families were watching the hugely popular play “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time”.
Emergency services said 88 people were injured. They described 81 as “walking wounded”, many with head injuries, while seven others were taken to hospital with more serious injuries.
Nick Harding from London Fire Brigade said a section of ornate plaster ceiling, measuring about 10 metres (33 feet) by 10 metres, had fallen onto the audience watching the evening show.
