An accident during a live circus stunt in Italy involving motorcycles circling a metal sphere left a young performer dead and another gravely injured, according to statements from the circus and local reports.
Christián Quezada Vasquez, a 26-year-old professional performer, was riding one of the motorcycles in the so-called Globe of Death during a performance on Friday when he lost control, plummeting to the bottom of the spherical cage and causing two other riders to collide, according to local reports from Mr. Quezada’s native Chile.
“We had a serious accident during the afternoon show,” Imperial Royal Circus, the troupe with whom Mr. Quezada performed, said in a statement on Facebook. “Christian you will always be in our hearts. You were a great artist.”
Fatal accidents inside the Globe of Death — a popular circus stunt in which multiple motorcyclists ride around inside a globe-shaped metal cage in tight formations — are rare, despite the stunt’s death-defying appearance. But accidents are common.
In September, a performer was seriously injured in Blackpool, England, after he was struck by his own bike after falling off.
In 2015, two riders were injured when they collided inside the sphere while performing at a circus in Washington State. And in 2016, a 20-year-old Colombian performer was killed when he fell off his bike while riding inside a globe.
Video of the incident on Friday in Sant’Anastasia, Italy, published in local news outlets, showed three performers zipping around the metal sphere on a dark stage, lit only by LED lights on their motorcycles and suits.
One abruptly falls from the top of the cage, and the two others crash into him shortly after and land in a tangle at the bottom of the sphere. Lights quickly come on, and workers rush toward the cage.
Local news accounts, citing the police, said that one of the other motorcyclists was in critical condition at a hospital and the other was unhurt.
“I would like to express my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Christián, as well as to all the circuses, and pray for his colleague, who is currently hospitalized,” Carmine Esposito, the mayor of Sant’Anastasia, posted in an Italian-language statement on Facebook. “I know that yesterday there were many children at the show and I regret that fate wanted them to witness such a tragedy.”
The Carabinieri, the Italian military police, were investigating the accident, according to the Italian news outlet Ansa. The police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ali Watkins covers international news for The Times and is based in Belfast.
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