This is the shocking moment a toddler distracted by a gaming handset fell into a 30ft deep manhole.

Dramatic CCTV footage shows the four-year-old boy playing on his phone while walking behind his parents at a car dealership when he plummeted into the pit in St Petersburg, Russia.

Glued to the screen, the youngster was too distracted to notice the open manhole, which was poorly marked with just a traffic cone and a small metal cart, on July 10.

The child can be seen plunging into the hole, prompting his parents to turn back upon hearing him scream.

His frantic father immediately ran back and climbed into the manhole to retrieve his son.

They reportedly transported the child to a hospital for treatment.

Local media reported that the boy suffered multiple injuries and is currently recovering from the incident.

The Investigative Committee is conducting an investigation into what happened.