Circus horror as two child acrobats fall 12ft days after bear attack

by · Mail Online

A circus in war-torn Ukraine suffered a double disaster after two child acrobats plunged 12ft during an aerial act - just days after a performing bear furiously attacked its handler.   

A boy, 15, and girl, 12, came crashing down into the illuminated ring as they were watched by a horrified audience of children and parents.

The male circus performer 'lost his grip' and with no safety net both fell during their stunt at the city circus in Zaporizhzhia.

Horror footage captured the two children swinging from a thick rope in a circle around the stage as the girl clung onto the boys leg.

As they they were coming up to completing a full loop, the boy suddenly released the rope and the pair dropped onto the hard floor, seemingly hitting the corner of the stage.

Two child acrobats were performing an aerial act in a Ukraine circus before the boy 'lost his grip' on the rope 
The two children came crashed 12ft down onto the stage after the boys hands slipped off the rope
The pair could be seen on their backs on the ground following the horror fall

The force from which hit the ground caused them to bounce, before leaving the two child performers on their backs before the video stops.  

The boy suffered broken legs in the fall, and the girl was hit by concussion, reported local newspaper Informator.

Both children are currently in hospital under observation following the circus disaster.

Hospital chief Yuri Borzenko said: 'They are conscious. They are in intensive care, as a precaution.

'The girl suffered concussion, she complains of a headache.

'The boy has fractured both legs. There is no damage to internal organs.'

A criminal case has been opened into the horror fall to examine whether health and safety rules were broken.

Just days earlier, at the same circus in Zaporizhzhia city a performing brown bear suddenly staged a furious attack on a trainer in front of spectators.

The trainer had fed the bear a 'treat' before the beast turned on him.

Footage from an onlooker caught the moment the brown creature jumped up on its hind legs and lunged towards the handler in the shock attack.  

Days earlier, at the same circus, a trainer was attacked by a bear after feeding it a treat during a performance
Footage captured the moment the animal ripped open the performer's shirt as he fought off the animal 
The trio finally got the bear back down from its standing position, but it could be seen angrily shaking 

The bear tore the man's shirt with its claws, leaving gaping holes in the material as the trainer fought to get the animal under control.

The bear can be seen furiously shaking as it gets back down onto its four legs, angrily twitching its head as the trainer attempts to calm it down by pulling on a rope attached to the animals snout.

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An onlooker said: 'The bear attacked a trainer in the Zaporizhzhia circus.

'It just happened during the performance.

'Thank God, no one was seriously injured.'

Bears and other animals continue to be used in circuses in ex-Soviet countries including Ukraine and Russia.

Zaporizhzhia city is capital of a region of the same name which is divided by Vladimir Putin's invasion, with some territory controlled by Ukraine, and some by Russia.

The shocking accidents in Ukraine comes after hundreds of audience members were forced to watch on in horror after a circus performer plunged from the 'Wheel of Death' at Blackpool Tower on Saturday.

The crowd was evacuated as emergency services dashed to the scene after one of two performers fell from the apparatus while carrying out the dangerous stunt which involves a rotating beam.

A Blackpool Tower spokesperson told MailOnline that the performer was 'recovering well' after being treated for a 'minor injury to their wrist' during the rehearsed manoeuvre.