Investigation begins after ceiling at London theatre collapses on audience
- 10 years ago
An investigation has begun into how a ceiling at a theatre in London’s West End collapsed, injuring 76 people, seven of them seriously.
The audience at the Apollo was watching a performance of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, when around 10 square metres of heavy plasterwork and parts of balconies crashed down on top of them.
Emergency services arrived within minutes and used a nearby theatre to treat some of the injured. Others were taken to hospital on three London buses.
It’s thought that water may have dripped through cracks in the ceiling after heavy rainfall. The roof itself showed little sign of damage.
The grade II listed building is more than a century old.
Structural engineers are now investigating what caused the collapse.
Westminster council says it will be carrying out safety checks on other historic theaters in the area.
The audience at the Apollo was watching a performance of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, when around 10 square metres of heavy plasterwork and parts of balconies crashed down on top of them.
Emergency services arrived within minutes and used a nearby theatre to treat some of the injured. Others were taken to hospital on three London buses.
It’s thought that water may have dripped through cracks in the ceiling after heavy rainfall. The roof itself showed little sign of damage.
The grade II listed building is more than a century old.
Structural engineers are now investigating what caused the collapse.
Westminster council says it will be carrying out safety checks on other historic theaters in the area.