This is the shocking moment a woman accidentally burned herself while lighting a cigarette.

CCTV footage shows the store clerk entering the store and grabbing a lighter from the desk in Jiangsu, China, on September 5.

She flicked it open at the cigarette, but a sudden massive flame erupted and hit her face.

The frantic woman immediately threw the lighter to the ground, while a startled cat nearby sprinted to safety.

Confused by what had happened, she froze at the doorway, looking at her arms to check for injuries.

Moments later, she walked further inside, still in shock and touching her forehead.

The woman said she was okay and did not suffer any serious injuries, though she felt stinging on her face from the incident.