Spectators in shock after witnessing tragic circus accident near Naples.A motorcyclist stuntman died after a daring stunt went wrong during a circus show, in front of a shocked audience, at a town near Naples in southern Italy on Friday evening.The fatal incident occurred while three professional motorcyclists were riding inside a steel sphere, part of the 'Globe of Death' acrobatic performance staged by the Imperial Royal Circus at Sant'Anastasia, located about 13 km northeast of Naples. The three men - a 26-year-old Chilean, a 43-year-old Mexican and a Colombian of the same age - performed the hypnotic show in darkness, illuminated only the LED lights on their costumes. According to an initial reconstruction of events, the Chilean motorcyclist lost control and fell suddenly into the centre of the cage. The other two tried to avoid him by slowing down, but the space was too cramped and they collided in a violent impact that stopped the show. When the lights came back on, the situation was already dire, newspaper Corriere della Sera reports, and the 26-year-old Chilean died moments later. The Mexican stuntman was rushed to the Ospedale del Mare hospital in critical condition while the Colombian motorcyclist was relatively unharmed. The tragic accident occurred in front of spectators, many of whom were children, with many people filming the performance on their cell phones. In one of the videos circulating on social media, the circus announcer - likely unaware of the gravity of the situation - can be heard saying: "Ladies and gentlemen, these things happen. It's a live show." Police have been collecting amateur video footage recorded by circusgoers as part of their investigation into the dynamics of the incident which was described by the town's mayor Domenico Esposito as "devastating". "I know that many children were present, who witnessed this tragedy" - Esposito said - "We join in the grief of the families affected by this tragic event". Carabinieri police said on Friday night that they did not immediately release the names of those involved because their relatives are living abroad and were still unaware of the tragedy. The Imperial Royal Circus, a historic company run by the Dell'Acqua family since the early 1900s, has suspended its performances. Photo Il Gazzettino

A motorcyclist stuntman died after a daring stunt went wrong during a circus show, in front of a shocked audience, at a town near Naples in southern Italy on Friday evening. The fatal incident occurred while three professional motorcyclists were riding inside a steel sphere, part of the 'Globe of Death' acrobatic performance staged by the Imperial Royal Circus at Sant'Anastasia, located about 13 km northeast of Naples. The three men - a 26-year-old Chilean, a 43-year-old Mexican and a Colombian of the same age - performed the hypnotic show in darkness, illuminated only the LED lights on their costumes. According to an initial reconstruction of events, the Chilean motorcyclist lost control and fell suddenly into the centre of the cage. The other two tried to avoid him by slowing down, but the space was too cramped and they collided in a violent impact that stopped the show. When the lights came back on, the situation was already dire, newspaper Corriere della Sera reports, and the 26-year-old Chilean died moments later. The Mexican stuntman was rushed to the Ospedale del Mare hospital in critical condition while the Colombian motorcyclist was relatively unharmed. The tragic accident occurred in front of spectators, many of whom were children, with many people filming the performance on their cell phones. In one of the videos circulating on social media, the circus announcer - likely unaware of the gravity of the situation - can be heard saying: "Ladies and gentlemen, these things happen. It's a live show." Police have been collecting amateur video footage recorded by circusgoers as part of their investigation into the dynamics of the incident which was described by the town's mayor Domenico Esposito as "devastating". "I know that many children were present, who witnessed this tragedy" - Esposito said - "We join in the grief of the families affected by this tragic event". Carabinieri police said on Friday night that they did not immediately release the names of those involved because their relatives are living abroad and were still unaware of the tragedy. The Imperial Royal Circus, a historic company run by the Dell'Acqua family since the early 1900s, has suspended its performances. Photo Il Gazzettino