Apollo Theatre roof in London's West End collapses: scores injured
Seventy-six injured including seven people seriously hurt after the roof of the Apollo in the West End collapsed mid-way through a packed evening performance
Hundreds of theatregoers fled after the ceiling of one of the West End’s premier theatres collapsed midway through a packed evening performance last night.
At least 700 people were evacuated from the Apollo Theatre, in Shaftesbury Avenue, police confirmed.
A rescue operation began at 8.15pm. Seventy six people were injured, 51 of whom were treated in hospital. Seven were said to be seriously hurt. Witnesses reported seeing audience members trapped, bleeding and with broken bones.
Police said they were not aware of any fatalities. Three London buses were used to take casualties to University College Hospital and St Thomas’ Hospital.
The interior of the Grade II-listed building was left obscured by a cloud of dust and debris during the performance of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time.
Actors were seen to interrupt their performance to point at the ceiling and one witnesses reported that a performer shouted “watch out”.
Others said they thought it was all part of the show before “seeing the look on the ushers’ faces”.
Some of the casualties were seen being carried out on stretchers. Witnesses reported seeing people being treated for broken bones, and wearing oxygen masks.
Jessica Bowie, 29, a content editor of The House magazine, said: “I heard a loud creaking noise, and then a crash, and there was a huge curtain of dust. It wasn’t clear whether a balcony or the ceiling had come down.
“There were people walking around covered in blood or dust.
“We were in the stalls at the back so we were among the first to get out. There was a huge swell of people behind us. As we were leaving, I looked at the state of the usher and he just had a look of panic and was saying ‘get out’.”
Khalil Anjarwalla, who was watching the play with his heavily pregnant wife and her parents, said people were screaming and panicking as they rushed for the exit after the roof collapsed on to the stalls.
He said: “We were watching the play and saw some movement above us but we didn’t know whether it was part of the play.
“Within an instant the entire roof caved in and you couldn’t see the sky, but at least the first layer of the roof was entirely gone and then dust filled the entire theatre.
“Everyone was just screaming and people were rushing for the exit, clambering over chairs. It was completely horrific. We had to get out, calmly. I remember thinking the cloud, the dust — it reminded me of those scenes from 9/11 in the aftermath of the building collapsing.
Jessica Bowie, 29, a content editor of The House magazine, said: “I heard a loud creaking noise, and then a crash, and there was a huge curtain of dust. It wasn’t clear whether a balcony or the ceiling had come down.
“There were people walking around covered in blood or dust.
“We were in the stalls at the back so we were among the first to get out. There was a huge swell of people behind us. As we were leaving, I looked at the state of the usher and he just had a look of panic and was saying ‘get out’.”
Khalil Anjarwalla, who was watching the play with his heavily pregnant wife and her parents, said people were screaming and panicking as they rushed for the exit after the roof collapsed on to the stalls.
He said: “We were watching the play and saw some movement above us but we didn’t know whether it was part of the play.
“Within an instant the entire roof caved in and you couldn’t see the sky, but at least the first layer of the roof was entirely gone and then dust filled the entire theatre.
“Everyone was just screaming and people were rushing for the exit, clambering over chairs. It was completely horrific. We had to get out, calmly. I remember thinking the cloud, the dust — it reminded me of those scenes from 9/11 in the aftermath of the building collapsing.
One member of the audience, Steve George, said he was on the balcony when there was a “massive crash”, with plaster “smashing down” on the stall. “What it was like for the people down below, I can only imagine,” he said.
There had been suggestions that the collapse may have been caused by a lightning strike, but London Fire Brigade said it had no records on its internal log of lightning. However, it acknowledged there had been heavy rain.
Buildings next door to the theatre were undergoing structural works, the fire brigade said, but they were not believed to have contributed to the incident.
A spokesman said that a section of ceiling around 30ft by 30ft plunged four storeys on to the audience below — a distance of at least 30ft. “Three people trapped underneath were released and about 80 walking wounded were treated by London Ambulance Service,” she added.
London Fire Brigade deputy assistant commissioner Graham Ellis said: “Ornate plasterwork and lighting rigs have fallen on the audience from a great height. Members of the audience in the theatre’s upper circle, circle and stalls have been affected by the structural collapse.
Emergency services are now waiting for structural engineers to check the building before further work can be carried out, but all casualties are believed to have been removed from the premises.”
“The other theatres have responded in the traditions of ‘theatreland’ and have rallied round and taken casualties into their theatres.”
He said the cause of the catastrophic collapse was still unconfirmed but there were no suspicious circumstances.
He said: “There was no warning, there was just a sudden collapse.”
A district surveyor from Westminster city council was on the way to the scene to carry out structural assessment of the building.
About 12 fire crews and 20 ambulance crews were sent to the scene at the height of the rescue operation. An emergency centre was set up in the Gielgud Theatre next door to treat the wounded.
Mark Haddon, who wrote the award-winning novel on which the play is based, added: “It’s been horrifying sitting here watching what has been happening at the Apollo this evening. I’m hugely relieved that no one has died. I hope that those who were seriously injured are OK. I’m sorry, too, that so many people went through such a terrifying experience.”
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