One killed, dozens injured after concert venue roof collapse in Illinois

BELVIDERE, I.L. – At least one person was killed and dozens others were injured Friday night when the roof of a concert venue collapsed during severe weather in Belvidere, Illinois.

Of the 28 people who were taken to the hospital, five had serious injuries, according to Belvidere fire officials. When the roof and front awning collapsed, 260 people were inside the Apollo Theater concert venue.

The Belvidere Police Department said the collapse occurred as a heavy storms rolled through the area. They say calls began coming in from the theater just before 8 p.m. An initial assessment was that a tornado had caused the damage.

“At the time of the collapse, we initiated a large scale response with numerous agencies,” says Belvidere fire chief, Shawn Schadle. “The information that I have for you is preliminary here. I’ll get all the information that I can and provide you with an update in the future.”

Once again this a developing story and we’re waiting for more details to be released.