Footage surfaced showing a Chinese acrobat plunging to her death during a mid-air performance with her husband.

Sun Moumou and her spouse, surnamed Zhang, both aged 37, were executing a routine in the village of Hougao, situated in China's Anhui province when the incident transpired on Saturday.

In the video, the couple can be observed being hoisted high up into the air by a crane.

Sun is seen holding onto her husband, interlocking her hands behind his head, while he is suspended by ropes attached to both arms.

However, Sun's feet appear to lose grip, and she slips, plummeting to the ground before her husband could stabilize her with his legs.

According to a statement released by the Tongqiao government, Sun was rushed to the hospital following the fall, but succumbed to her injuries.

One of their colleagues alleged to reporters that Sun was not immediately killed by the impact and was barely breathing when the aid arrived.

Subsequent to the dreadful incident, Chinese authorities initiated an investigation and canceled the show, along with other events planned for the weekend.

According to local journalists, witnesses had allegedly seen Sun refusing to wear a safety line, leading to purported conflict between the couple.

However, her husband has denied these allegations, saying, "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 an interview with Yangzi Evening News.

On Tuesday (April 18), the Tongqiao government released another statement, stating that the incident had been deemed an "accident" by authorities following an investigation.

They also stated that the show had been organized by a local farm business owner, who had hired the Anhui Yaxi Performing Arts Media Company to conduct the performance.

The investigation concluded that the Anhui Yaxi Performing Arts Media Company, which was hired by a local farm business owner to run the performance, did not obtain prior approval from authorities for the show and also failed to provide necessary safety protection and emergency measures during the performance. The use of a crane also violated regulations, according to the findings.

The company responsible for organizing the show has been fined more than $7,000 (£5,623) for allegedly holding commercial performances without approval, and the local Culture and Tourism department has stated that they will take appropriate actions against them.