Acrobat suffers head, spinal injuries in six-metre circus fall

WARNING, DISTRESSING CONTENT: Audiences at a circus have watched on in horror as a performer fell six metres during a daring aerial act.

Acrobat Anton Martynov, 33, plummeted to the ground when the well-rehearsed routine didn't go to plan at the show in Elista, Russia.

He suffered two breaks to his spinal cord and a serious head injury during the routine he had performed alongside his twin brother hundreds of times before.

Families could be heard screaming in horror as Martynov slammed onto the hard floor below.

Organisers of the Mstislav Zapashny circus from Moscow have said the accident was caused after a belt came out of a carabiner lock, The Sun reported.

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An investigation is underway into how the incident occurred.

Martynov remains in intensive care in hospital but the circus have confirmed his condition is stable.