Woman’s leg ‘crushed by escalator in shopping centre’

Video apparently shows victim trapped in machinery after steps collapsed beneath her

Shopper trapped in escalator at mall in Harbin, China (Screengrab / AsiaWire)

A woman has reportedly had her leg crushed by a moving escalator at a shopping centre in China.

Unverified video footage published by a local news agency showed the woman, who is said to be in her sixties, trapped from the waist down after part of the staircase collapsed beneath her.

A family member said she had fallen into the machinery when the metal steps gave way without warning at the centre in the northeast city of Harbin.

When firefighters freed the woman, who has not been identified, they were forced to sever her left leg below the knee, local media reported.

The relative said a number of steps had given way causing the victim to tumble into cogs beneath.

They added that she had tried to climb out but had nothing to step on during the ordeal, which local media reported happened on Saturday. The Independent was unable to verify the footage.

Other eyewitnesses said the woman had attempted to use the steps while workmen were doing repairs.

An unnamed shopkeeper said: “There were barriers all around it. She removed the barriers and stepped onto the escalator. The escalator had just been repaired and was still being tested.”

Another woman added: "The step broke as soon as she stepped on it."

The victim herself is now said to be in a stable condition after undergoing emergency surgery.

The cause of the accident is being investigated by authorities.