Cirque Du Soleil Accident: Equipment Operator Dies Before San Francisco Show

An equipment officer died Tuesday night in an accident during the set-up for a Cirque du Soleil show at AT&T Park in San Francisco, police said. The show's organizer said that the technician was struck by a lift following which he was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

San Francisco police responded to Lot A at Mission Rock and Third Street after reports of the accident. Authorities have not released the name of the victim. San Francisco Police Department's Traffic Collision Investigation Unit and Cal-OSHA, the Division of Occupational Safety and Health, were on the scene to determine the cause of the accident.

"It is with immense sadness that we report a fatal accident that occurred on November 29, during the preset of the show Luzia in San Francisco," a statement issued by Cirque du Soleil reads. "One of our employees, a technician on the show, was struck by a lift and passed away from his injuries. We cannot confirm our employee’s identity at this time as his family has yet to be reached. We are currently gathering more information about this tragic accident and will update you with more details as soon as we are in a position to do so."

Tuesday night's show was canceled following the accident. Ticket holders reportedly said that show officials were handing out fliers apologizing for the cancellation. The fliers also stated that all ticket purchases will be refunded.

“Due to circumstances beyond our control we have unfortunately been forced to cancel the show scheduled for today,” the fliers reportedly read. “We ask that you accept our sincere apologies. We understand the inconvenience that this has caused and we would like to do all we can to allow you to enjoy the complete performance of Luzia on another date.”