This is the heart-stopping moment firefighters rescued two high-rise window cleaners after their basket became stuck on an office tower.

Footage shows the workers suspended in mid-air after their window-washing platform malfunctioned while on duty in Tysons, Virginia.

Authorities said the employees were stuck 15 floors above the ground in the 22-storey building for around an hour before being rescued.

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department said: 'Rescue units quickly worked to secure and initiate the rescue of the workers.

'The workers were lowered by Technical Rescue Operations Team members into a tower ladder bucket before being lowered to the ground.'

No injuries were reported on December 4.