Horrifying moment woman plunges four floors to her death in shopping centre after sitting on a moving escalator handrail

A woman has plunged four floors to her death after she attempted to sit on a moving escalator handrail. 

Moments before the horrific accident the young woman could be seen reading something whilst standing precariously close to an escalator in a Chinese shopping centre.

Horrifying CCTV footage from the incident shows the woman - who has not been named - leaning against the escalator before she tries to sit herself down on the moving handrail. 

Almost instantly she loses balance as the escalator begins to drag her down. 

The woman desperately tries to grip the handrail as she suddenly falls through a small gap between the stairs and the guard rail. 

Nearby people, seemingly unaware at what is unfolding right next them, react too late to save the woman.

Local media reports that she fell four storeys and died as a result of the impact. 

Moments before the horrific accident the young woman could be seen reading something stood precariously close to an escalator at a shopping centre in the eastern Chinese city of Jining

Horrifying CCTV footage from the incident shows the woman - who has not been named - leaning against the escalator before she tries to hois herself on up on the moving handrail

She loses balance as the escalator begins to drag her down. The woman then  desperately tries to grip the handrail as she suddenly falls through a small gap between the stairs and the guard rail

The devastating incident occurred on the evening of November 16, at Wanxianghui, a large shopping Centre in Jining, China.

Just ten days before the tragedy, the building had undergone a security check.

The entire place went under inspection, with tests being carried out on safety exits and evacuation channel settings, among others.

Due to the accident, locals in the area are allegedly questioning safety measures at the shopping centre.