Three performers in critical condition after fall during circus show

At least three performers remain in critical condition following a circus accident in Providence, Rhode Island.

Authorities are trying to determine what caused a support frame to collapse during the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus’ Legends show at the Dunkin’ Donuts Centre.

The accident occurred during an act in which eight performers hang “like a human chandelier” using their hair, the circus said.

Rhode Island Hospital said performers Dayana Costa, Julissa Segrera and Stefany Neves were in a critical condition this morning.

Viktoriya Medeiros and Viktorila Liakhova were listed in serious condition, while Samantha Pitard, Svitlana Balanicheva and Widny Nevas were listed in good condition.

The names and conditions of three others injured in the accident have not been released.

The hair-hanging stunt is described on the circus’ website as a “larger-than-life act” featuring eight female performers.

“These ’hairialists’ perform a combination of choreography and cut-ups including spinning, hanging from hoops, and rolling down wrapped silks, all while being suspended 35 feet in the air by their hair alone,” the website says.

“In this hair-raising act, audiences will even see the weight of three girls held aloft by the locks of only one of these tangled beauties.”

Video taken by audience members showed a curtain coming down, and several performers hanging around 25 feet in the air from an apparatus suspended from above.

Seconds later, as they began to perform, the women fell and the metal apparatus landed on them.

“It just went crashing down,” said audience member Sydney Bragg, 14. “Everyone was freaking out.

“We heard this huge clatter and then we just heard the girls scream.”

She said spotlights were on the performers at the time, but all the lights went out after the fall.

Rosa Viveiros said she saw that the acrobats had fallen on top of at least one other performer on the ground, a man who stood up with his face bloodied. The acrobats remained still and did not get up, she said.

“We thought it was part of the circus,” said her husband, Joe.