Performer Crushed to Death at Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre

The victim has been identified as Yevgeny Kulesh. He was appearing in Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's opera "Sadko" when the incident occurred on stage.

Medical personnel at the theatre attempted to save him but were unable to revive him. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

How the incident happened

The accident occurred during a change of scenery in the course of the performance. Kulesh was caught beneath a large backdrop as it was being lowered and was crushed.

Footage of the incident circulating online shows cast members in distress, calling on stage staff to lift the backdrop off the performer.

It has been reported that the performer moved in the wrong direction while the scenery was descending, but this has not been officially confirmed as the cause.

Show halted as audience evacuated

There were conflicting accounts about the immediate response inside the auditorium. One account stated the performance continued briefly while the incident unfolded, with the audience initially unaware of what had happened.

The BBC reports that the opera was immediately stopped and officials of the Bolshoi Theatre asked spectators to leave the hall.

An audience member told Russian news outlet Ria.ru that she heard shouts for medical help and an ambulance, with someone shouting that a performer had been hit by the backdrop.

The witness said the orchestra stopped playing abruptly and in less than a minute the curtain was drawn and the audience was asked to exit.

Investigation launched

Moscow's Investigative Committee said in a statement that it has opened an investigation into the accident and the death of the performer.

Kulesh had worked with the Bolshoi Theatre since 2002.

The theatre has not yet released a detailed statement on safety procedures. The outcome of the investigation is expected to determine the circumstances surrounding the collapse.