4 Seriously Injured in London Theater Collapse

Scary reports out of London say part of the ceiling collapsed at the Apollo Theatre during a live performance. Details are still firming up, but the BBC has an estimate of four people seriously injured and another 80 or so with less serious injuries. The good news is that police say all those who were trapped have been freed, and there are no reports of fatalities. The incident took place during a packed holiday performance of the Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time. Fire officials say that as plasterwork from the ceiling collapsed, it brought down a lighting rig, too.

"The entire dome roof fell down on the audience just in front of us," says one witness. "We were protected by the balcony above and we ran. People started screaming." Another tells of hearing a "strange crackling noise" just before the collapse. The theater, built in 1901, can hold about 775 people, notes the AP. "At first we thought it was part of the show," another theater-goer tells Sky News. "Then I got hit on the head." Most of those injured were described as "walking wounded" and were able to leave the theater on their own. (More London stories.)