Horrifying moment acrobat plummets to death during show

WARNING — DISTRESSING CONTENT: Disturbing video shows the moment a female acrobat fell to her death after appearing to lose her grip 10 metres in the air.

The 36-year-old woman, surnamed Sun, was performing with her husband on Friday when she slipped during a transition move shortly after they had been pulled into the air by a crane.

She suffered critical injuries and was rushed to hospital however she could not be saved, the Global Times reported.

Video of the incident in a village in the Chinese province of Anhui quickly circulated across China, shocking millions on social media who questioned the safety requirements for performers and called for more to be done to protect them.

A staff member who had previously worked with the pair speculated they rose too high and too quickly during the fatal act, Chongqing Morning News reported.

The show was organised by a local farming business who had acquired the services of a performing arts company, which are both now under investigation, Chinese authorities have confirmed.

There were also claims from a worker from the performance company the couple were quarrelling at the time and she had refused to wear a safety line, however the woman's husband has denied such claims.

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China's Acrobatic Association has since called for greater attention to safety measures, echoing concerns raised online.

Insiders in the industry said the accident could have been caused by a host of factors while questioning why there wasn't a safety net, the Global Times reported. Safety equipment is often not used and rarely enforced by authorities, they said.

"It's a tragedy, it's really bad if there are no safety protection measures," one Weibo user said.

There was also outrage online over the low wages performers, with many online calling for those in high-risk industries to be paid more.

The couple reportedly have two children together.

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