More than 80 people have been injured, 7 of them seriously, after part of a ceiling in London's Apollo Theater collapsed during a show.

The venue in Shaftesbury Avenue was packed for a performance of "The Curious Incident Of The Dog in the Night-Time," reports BBC.

Eyewitnesses heard "a crackling" noise before the collapse at about 20:15 GMT. Theater-goers left covered in debris.

The Apollo's owner described it as a "shocking and upsetting" incident and said an investigation was under way.

A total of 58 people have been taken to hospital but there are no life-threatening injuries.

The response of emergency services, including emergency medical teams, firefighting squads and hundreds of police officers, was judged swift and effective.

According to an assessment by the fire brigade, the Apollo's ornate plasterwork ceiling collapsed and brought down part of the lighting rig.

The theatre had been almost full and 720 people were watching the performance.

The majority of people wounded have suffered cuts and bruises, with fractures in some of the most serious cases.

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