76 people have been injured, seven seriously, after part of the Apollo Theatre in London’s West End collapsed as a 700-strong audience watched a performance of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
People suffered head, neck, and back injuries as around 10m² of plaster fell from the ceiling onto the audience below at around 20:15 GMT.
Investigators are trying to determine the cause of the partial ceiling collapse, with some reports suggesting that water was dripping through cracks in the ceiling before it fell. If water had got into the cracks and loosened the plasterwork, the rattle from thunder during last night’s storm may have caused the piece to dislodge.
Westminster City Council is expected to report later on a structural assessment of the venue.
