A young boy is in critical condition after a terrifying fall from an escalator while playing with a friend in a busy shopping centre.
Chilling CCTV footage shows the youngster, clad in a purple shirt, playing around with his friend at the top of the escalator.
In a terrifying moment, he tries to sit on the moving handrail, despite his mate’s clear attempts to dissuade him.
A woman close by, who appears to be with the boys, lunges forward in a frantic attempt to catch him but misses by fractions of a second.
The lad sprawls out on the handrail and then, in a horrifying scene, falls over the side. He drops several floors, landing with a sickening thud on the solid ground below, reports the Daily Record.
As the video cuts off, the boy lies motionless, sparking immediate fear for his condition. The spine-chilling episode took place at a shopping centre in Loudi City, Hunan Province, China, last Sunday (7 Jul).
Following the stomach-churning fall, the child was whisked away to hospital, critically injured, according to NeedToKnow’s report.
Local residents have voiced their astonishment, with one saying: “The fact nobody helped the boy when he fell down is insane.”
Another commented on the shocking disinterest of onlookers: “Total apathy. No one bats an eyelid, they just walk past.”
Further updates on his condition remain undisclosed, while officials investigate the harrowing occurrence.