https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Y6Qxr4lTBc
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Sadly, it was send in the clowns time for Ringling Brothers at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence Rhode Island today (Sunday). The collapse during an aerial act left performers injured and brought the cancellation of performances for later in the day.
Fifteen to 20 performers were injured in an accident about noon during an aerial act in Sunday’s performance of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.
Police said about 1:30 p.m. at a press conference that 9 of the performers were in critical condition, but with non-life threatening injuries. They had fallen from a height of 25 to 40 feet.
The performers fell to the ground after being suspended on cables in the air that collapsed.
An online video from the incident shows a curtain being removed that reveals the performers hanging from a large object. Then everything crashed to the ground as the PA announcer uttered a curse word.
Ironically the announcer had started to say “suspended only by the …” before the object holding the at least six performers fell.