Chinese acrobat falls to death during mid-air stunt with husband

Chinese acrobatic performer Sun fell after her stunt partner and husband failed to catch her with his legs during a flying trapeze performance.

A Chinese acrobat fell to her death during a performance in China’s Anhui province, according to a BBC report. 37-year-old Sun was reportedly doing the routine with her acrobatic partner and husband Zhang.

Though Sun was taken to the hospital after the fatal fall, the mother of two succumbed to her injuries, (Twitter)

An investigation has been launched into the aerial silks performance held at a farm in Suzhou city on Saturday. Sun’s fatal plunge has sparked concerns over the dearth of safety measures in aerial performances. Visuals shared online of the flying-trapeze stunt showed Zhang failing to catch Sun with his legs, which resulted in her fall from a significant height onto a hard stage.

Although Sun was taken to the hospital, the mother of two succumbed to her injuries, according to a Tongqiao district government statement on Monday.

The BBC quoting Chinese media outlet The Paper, said that the couple had resorted to doing ‘risky’ stunts sans any safety belts to earn more money amidst stiff competition.

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Questioning the lack of a safety net on the stage, netizens demanded tighter regulation in the acrobatics industry to ensure protection of the stunt artists.

A CNN report stated that the show was reportedly conducted by a local farm business owner, who contracted the Anhui Yaxi Performing Arts Media Company to run the performance. However, the mandatory clearance was not approved by authorities in order to hold the performance. The probe into the matter revealed that essential emergency requisites were not followed for the show and that a crane was used in violation of rules.

Action will be taken against the company, which has reportedly decided on the amount of compensation to be given to the kin of Sun. Highlight the need to put greater safety measures in place, China’s Acrobats Association said in a statement Sunday that it was “devastated and shocked by the tragedy”.