Roof collapses during Morbid Angel concert in Belvidere, Illinois. We are deeply grieved by the tragedy that occurred tonight at The Apollo Theatre in Belvidere, Illinois.
Currently, Numerous Firefighters and Emergency crews are on the scene after a roof collapsed at the Apollo theatre during a concert after a powerful storm hit in Belvidere Illinois multiple people are currently trapped and injured. Keep reading this post to know more details about this tragedy.
A MORBID ANGEL concert’s roof collapses in Illinois
The Apollo Theatre in Belvidere, Illinois, saw a roof collapse on Friday, March 31, just before Morbid Angel was set to perform there. Many victims have been reported, according to one Twitter user who provided a video of the damage’s aftermath.
28 people were hurt, while one victim died. It was planned for the band Morbid Angel to perform. Shawn Schadle, the fire chief for Belvidere, Illinois, reported that in addition to the one fatality, five people had serious injuries that required hospitalization, 18 people had moderate injuries, and five people had minor injuries.
Some 260 people were present at the location when it collapsed, according to the event planners. No one was still missing as of 10:15 p.m., according to authorities. As per Belvidere Police Department reports, 260 people were inside the facility when it collapsed as a powerful storm passed by.
The theatre can hold about 1,500 people. At 7:45 p.m. CT, the National Weather Service alerted authorities to a tornado warning. According to Shawn Schadle, chief of the Belvidere Fire Department, the roof fell ten minutes later.
Belvidere police chief Shane Woody described the scene:
When police arrived “Chaos. Absolute chaos. When officers are first on the scene when the fire department and first responders get here, they do the best they can to control the chaos as much as possible,” he said. “But ultimately, we go in, and ultimately try and find people, and save as many people as we possibly can — and bring them to safety as best as we can.”
Illinois governor JB Pritzker said of the disaster:
“My administration is closely monitoring the roof collapse at the Apollo Theatre in Belvidere tonight. “I’ve been in touch with officials for updates and to direct any available resources we can. As we learn more, please follow the guidance of all local authorities.”
On Facebook, Morbid Angel informed followers that the concert had been postponed and advised anyone who was still en route to the performance to seek shelter.
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Although expressing condolences for those hurt and murdered in the collapse, Skeletal Remains and Revocation also revealed that their band and crew members were secure. Just as Gabrielle Lewellyn walked into the theatre, a section of the ceiling fell.
She told the local ABC affiliate WTVO-TV that as she approached the structure, the winds “went like from zero to a thousand within five seconds.” According to Ms. Lewellyn, some people hurried to lift the section of the ceiling that had collapsed and rescue survivors from the debris.
“They dragged someone out from the rubble and I sat with him and I held his hand and I was [telling him] ‘It’s going to be OK.’ I didn’t know much else what to do.”
Watch the video below:
As part of MORBID ANGEL’s 2023 U.S. tour, support acts CRYPTA, SKELETAL REMAINS, and REVOCATION performed at the event. Doors were due to open at 6:00 p.m., CRYPTA was to perform at 7, SKELETAL REMAINS at 7, REVOCATION at 8, and MORBID ANGEL at 9:40 p.m., according to the venue’s official Facebook page.
MORBID ANGEL announced the cancellation of the event on Facebook “a tornado that slammed the venue resulted in the collapse of the roof over the area in front of the stage and the marquee.
Band’s Statement
“We ask anyone who is still traveling to the venue to please seek shelter and stay safe,” the band added. “We are currently sheltering in place, and want to extend our support and hope that everyone at the show tonight is safe. Right now our focus is on making sure everyone in the venue tonight is ok and gets home.”
According to images from other news outlets, the Apollo Theatre appeared to have suffered considerable exterior damage as well, including the marquee being torn off the side of the structure.
On the venue’s official Facebook, Crypta was scheduled to perform at 7 PM, Skeletal Remains at 7:45 PM, Revocation at 8:40 PM, and Morbid Angel at 9:40 PM. It is unknown which bands had previously performed before the damage. Doors opened at 6 o’clock. The performance was a part of the “40 Years of Acid” United States Tour of Terror 2023.
This is a developing story. Our sincere thoughts go out to the bands, workers, venue, and everyone else affected by tonight’s disaster.
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Lavanya (Senior Editor) is a full-time content writer with almost 5 years of experience and a part-time teacher. She joined Medico Topics on the Breaking News trainee scheme in 2022 and now works on MedicoTopics.com. As a lifelong learner, She is constantly curious about learning new things and passionate about sharing knowledge with people through her writing and teaching.
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