A mother was killed when an escalator collapsed at a shopping centre in China, moments after she managed to throw her infant son to safety.
30-year-old Xiang Liujuan was travelling up the escalator at Anliang department store in Jingzhou with her two-year-old son but, when they reached the top, a floor plate gave way and the mother fell through the floor.
The horrific moment was captured on CCTV but also shows the incredible moment the woman was able to thrust her toddler towards the mall staff, who were able to drag the child to safety.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-sushjSNVk
Two staff members also tried to rescue Liujuan as she dangled above the machinery but were unable to.
The Wuhan Evening News reports that the woman was shopping with her husband on Sunday when the accident happened, although he was not with them on the escalator.
Maintenance had just been carried out on the escalator and initial reports claim workers forgot to screw the access cover back into place. Tragic.
