Authorities: Clamp snapped in circus accident
Source: AP-EXCITE
By MICHELLE R. SMITH
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Investigators looking into why eight circus acrobats plummeted to the ground during an aerial hair-hanging stunt have found that a clamp snapped, a public safety official said Monday.
"We have identified a clamp that snapped that held them to the rafters, and it failed," Providence Public Safety Commissioner Steven Pare told WPRO-AM a day after a support frame collapsed during the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey circus.
Three of the acrobats remained in critical condition Monday morning. Several performers on the ground also were injured. None of the injuries appear to be life-threatening, according to Stephen Payne, a spokesman for Feld Entertainment, the parent company of Ringling Bros.
"They've used this act many times. Unfortunately this particular clamp failed. It snapped off. We have it, we're analyzing it, we're seeing why it happened to ensure it doesn't happen in the future. That's all part of our focus," Pare told WPRO.
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In this photo provided by Frank Caprio, performers hang during an aerial hair-hanging stunt at the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, Friday, May 2, 2104, in Providence, R.I. A platform collapsed during an aerial hair-hanging stunt at the 11 a.m. performance Sunday, May 4, sending eight acrobats plummeting to the ground. At least nine performers were seriously injured in the fall, including a dancer below, while an unknown number of others suffered minor injuries. (AP Photo/Frank Caprio) MANDATORY CREDIT
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hanging by their hair for the entertainment of others? Maybe it's just the week I'm having, but it makes me very sad.
