Story By: James King, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash

This is the shocking moment a tightrope walker falls off a high wire in a Russian circus and breaks his leg.

The video was shot at the Tyumen Circus in the city of Tyumen in Siberia when the performer carrying a balancing pole was walking across the tightrope with a woman standing on one leg on his head.

But when he reached the middle of the rope, at a height of six metres, he stopped and appeared to be losing his balance as he started to wobble and then suddenly slipped and fell.

He managed briefly to hold onto the wire before then plunging to the ground together with the pole.

Fortunately, the woman who was balancing on his head was lowered onto the rope by a safety harness, but the unfortunate man who had been carrying out the balancing act was not so lucky.

Although he managed to grab onto the high wire briefly, he then fell six metres (20 feet) to the ground, breaking his leg in the process, but otherwise surviving.

The audience can be heard screaming as the accident happens, and the injured artist is seen unable to stand as a fellow circus performer scrambles down a rope to rush over and help him.

The Tyumen prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation to check if the work safety rules for circus workers are being followed.