Almost 90 people are injured after the ceiling collapsed onto the audience in the 113-year old Apollo Theater in London’s West End entertainment district.  The collapse and the emergency response brought Shaftesbury Avenue to a standstill.

“The ceiling took parts of the balconies down with it,” said Nick Harding from London Fire Brigade.  “Everyone is out of the building and everyone is safe.”

81 of the injured people are described as “walking wounded”, many with head injuries.  Seven more people suffered more serious wounds and were rushed to hospital.  Triage took place in the lobbies of the adjacent Gielgud and Queen's theaters, and other neighboring businesses.

Heavy rain fell on London just before the collapse, and investigators will look at whether that had anything to do with the collapse.  Witnesses said they heard crackling coming from the ceiling.  One witness described hearing a “strange crackling noise” before “the roof just crumpled.”

It took a split-second before the stunned audience realized it was not part of the play “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time”.

“We saw the ceiling give way and it just dropped down onto the stalls.  There was dust everywhere and people were screaming,” said 29-year old theatergoer Steve George.

Amy Lecoz was at the theatre with her two teenage children, She said, “The entire dome roof fell down on the audience just in front of us.  We were protected by the balcony above and we ran.  People started screaming.  We thought it was water.  We thought it was a part of the show.  I grabbed my kids and ran.”