1 dead, 28 hospitalized after roof of Illinois theater collapses: Officials

One person died after a roof collapse at the Apollo Theater in Belvidere, Illinois, on Friday night, officials said. At least 28 more were transported to the hospital — five with severe injuries, according to officials.

Roughly 260 people, including staff and performers, were inside the venue, which was hosting a heavy metal concert, Belvidere Fire Chief Shawn Schadle said at a press conference.

Schadle could not immediately confirm the cause of the roof’s collapse. However, he said officials were notified by the National Weather Service of a tornado warning at 7:45 p.m. CT. The roof collapsed ten minutes later, he said.

Officers responding to the incident were greeted with “absolute chaos” inside the building, said Belvidere Police Chief Shane Woodley.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is “closely monitoring” the incident, he said on Twitter.

“I’ve been in touch with officials for updates and to direct any available resources we can,” he wrote.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.