This is the shocking moment a boy fell from an escalator while sitting on the handrail.

The teenager and his friends were playing on the machinery when one of them sat on the moving strap in a mall in Loudi, Hunan, China, on July 7.

Footage shows the child gripping the rotating belt and his friend holding him tightly.

However, the escalator pulled him away and he dropped onto the floor below. According to local reports, the boy sustained a serious leg injury and is now being treated in hospital.

The shopping mall management told local media that the youngster's condition was not life-threatening. However, he is understood to be in intensive care.

They said he fell from the seventh floor to the floor below. He reportedly hit a rail before landing.

They added: 'The injury is relatively good and he is stable.'

Officials at the shopping mall reportedly denied responsibility and claimed it was caused by the youngsters playing on the escalator.

Government officials are now investigating the fall.