A Chinese acrobat has died after falling to her death during a performance on Saturday.

The woman, surnamed Sun, fell during a flying-trapeze performance in the city of Suzhou in central Anhui province.

Footage shared widely online shows the gymnast falling onto a hard stage after a routine went wrong with her acrobatic partner, who is also her husband.

Ms Sun fell from a significant height after he failed to catch her with his legs during a stunt.

She was taken to hospital where efforts by doctors to save her life failed. The popular news website The Paper reported that she leaves behind two children.

Officials say an investigation is underway into the incident.

The footage has horrified people in China, and although social media users in the country have acknowledged that acrobatics carry a high level of risk, they have also voiced their concerns about the industry’s lax safety measures.

Some on the Weibo social network have commented that they have seen similar performances take place in the country without a safety mat or net, and are calling for better regulation in the industry.