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A senior violinist at Russia's Bolshoi Theatre has died after falling into the orchestra pit below the stage.

Viktor Sedov, 65, a veteran of the opera house's orchestra for four decades, played in the second violins.

Bolshoi spokeswoman Katerina Novikova confirmed the incident happened on Tuesday and Sedov died of his injuries in hospital on Wednesday.

She added Sedov was much loved in the theatre for his "sense of humour and extraordinary erudition".

The exact circumstances of the incident remain unclear.

His death is the latest tragedy at the Bolshoi, considered one of the world's greatest theatres.

Anatoly Iksanov, the former head of the Bolshoi Theatre, was removed from his post earlier this month, following a series of scandals including an acid attack on the ballet company's artistic director, Sergei Filin.

The Russian government appointed a new general director, Vladimir Urin, who previously headed Moscow's highly-regarded Stanislavsky Musical Theatre, in an attempt to lead the Bolshoi out of its crisis.

Soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko and two alleged accomplices have been charged in connection with the attack on Filin and are in jail awaiting trial.