Moment a grandmother in China trips and drops four-month-old grandson over escalator

CCTV footage from China shows a grandmother stepping onto a department store's moving staircase with her 4-month-old grandson in her arms. Photo / via YouTube

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

This is the horrifying moment a baby is accidentally dropped 9m down the side of an escalator to its death.

Devastating CCTV footage from China shows a grandmother stepping onto a department store's moving staircase with her four month old grandson in her arms.

But as she moves forward, one hand out to steady herself - she loses her footing and stumbles forward.

She lurches to the side against the handrail accidentally losing her one-armed grip on her infant grandson who is flung to the side away from his relative.

The woman desperately throws out her hands to grab him and appears to have him at her fingertips before he falls 9m down the side and out of sight.

CCTV footage from China shows a grandmother stepping onto a department store's moving staircase with her 4-month-old grandson in her arms. Photo / via YouTube

As the grandmother moves forward, one hand out to steady herself - she loses her footing and stumbles forward. Photo / via YouTube

She accidentally loses her grip on her infant grandson who is flung over the edge of the escalator. Photo / via YouTube

Another lady and little girl - believed to be the baby's mother and sister - visibly panick and leap to the side, the small girl in pink falling over in the rush.

As the video comes to an end the mother can be seen dashing down the escalator to reach her son.

The baby boy was reportedly rushed to hospital but died in the early hours of this morning.

The tragic incident took place on the third floor of the Wu Yue plaza department store in the Qingpu district of Shanghai.