Chinese acrobat dies after falling during live performance

Gymnast falls from a height after mid-air transition goes wrong

Representational image: A 37-year-old acrobat fell to death on 14 April (EPA)

An acrobat died after falling from a height during a performance with her husband in China's central Anhui province.

The 37-year-old woman surnamed Sun, succumbed to her injuries after falling during a flying-trapeze performance in the city of Suzhou on Friday, local authorities said, promising an in-depth investigation.

Footage of the performance shows the gymnast unexpectedly falling from a great height onto the stage after an aerial stunt with her husband, surnamed Zhang, went wrong. Her husband failed to catch her with his legs as the duo transitioned mid-air.

She was rushed to a hospital but eventually died despite the efforts to revive her.

The incident has raised public concern about the safety of aerial acrobatic performances in the country, with social media users calling on authorities to increase safety measures for such acts.

The performance was held by a local family farm and all the personnel and partners involved in the incident are under investigation, Global Times reported.

A manager of the performance company, surnamed Wag, said that the couple were experienced performers but had an argument on the night of the accident and the gymnast did not buckle her safety belt.

The claim was refuted by the gymnast's husband, who said thay were not in a dispute before the accident and always had "a good relationship".

"We were always happy together. As I am in the middle of the process of dealing with all of this, I can't disclose any specific details at this time," the husband said on Sunday.

According to witnesses, there was no safety cushion on the stage, while it was difficult for the ambulance to arrive at the venue due to narrow roads that went into the village.

There were no first-aid personnel or emergency measures in place, either.

According to China Daily, an agreement signed by the farm’s owner and the performance company said it is the latter that is responsible for performance safety.

Future performances by the company, which has not been named, were immediately suspended.

The gymnast is survived by her husband and their two children.