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(This post was last updated at 4:05 p.m. ET)
London police say there are "a number" of casualties after the apparent collapse of the roof of the Apollo Theater.
The Associated Press reports:
"Police said officers were called at around 2015 GMT (3:15 p.m. EST) to reports of a ceiling collapse at the Apollo Theatre on Shaftsbury Avenue in central London."
"It said police 'are aware of a number of casualties' but had no further details.
"London's fire department said eight engines are on the scene in the SoHo neighborhood."
The BBC said the theater was "packed" when the collapse occurred:
"An eyewitness said she heard 'a crackling' noise before the collapse at about 20:15 GMT. Another eyewitness said the 'entire dome roof' fell on audience members seated in the stalls."
The audience was watching "The Curious Incident Of The Dog in the Night-Time," a play based on the novel, at the time of the collapse.
The BBC quotes a 29-year-old audience member, who only gave his name as Ben, as saying: "It was about halfway through the first half of the show and there was a lot of creaking."
"There was dust everywhere, everybody's covered in dust. We got out fairly quickly, I think everyone was quite panicked," he said.
Reuters reports that theatergoers were injured by falling masonry and says one of its reporters says emergency vehicles have blocked off the street leading to the Apollo.
"I think the front part of the balcony fell down," Martin Bostock, who was in the audience, told Sky Television. "It was hard to see anything through the dust."
We will update this post as more information becomes available.
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