Acrobat falls to death while performing stunt with husband

Sun Moumou's husband denied the couple had fought before the accident

Sun Moumou, 37, was doing a routine mid-air when she fell to the stage during a show in Suzhou city, China, on Saturday.

According to a report in The Sun, Moumou's husband failed to catch her with his legs as the couple performed a change of position in mid-air.

After being raised high into the air by a crane, Moumou can be seen locking her hands behind his husband's head in the video and standing on his feet as he is suspended by ropes by both arms.

Her feet then appear to slip but before her husband could steady her with his legs. Moumou then lost grip and fell more than 32ft above the ground, according to local news reports.

Moumou was taken to hospital but doctors were unable to save her life.

She was reportedly "still breathing weakly" when she arrived at the hospital.

The show, as well as other shows planned over the weekend, as Chinese authorities began investigating.

Local reporters claimed that Moumou had refused to wear a safety line, which had led to apparent friction between the couple and was allegedly witnessed by onlookers.

However, her husband, who has not been named, has denied these accusations.

He told Yangzi Evening News: "We were always happy together. There was no fight. 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."

In a statement released Tuesday, the Tongqiao government said that an investigation into the tragedy had been ruled by authorities as "an accident".

They added that the show had been hosted by a local farm business owner, who had contacted the Anhui Yaxi Performing Arts Media Company to run the performance.

According to reports, the company failed to obtain approval from authorities prior to the show and had also failed to provide essential safety protection and emergency measures during the performance. The use of a crane was also in violation of regulations.

The company who organised the show are being fined over $7,000 (£5,623) for allegedly "holding commercial performances without approval".

The local Culture and Tourism department has said they will be 'dealt with accordingly'.

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