SHENZHEN • A woman in China's south-east city of Shenzhen had a narrow escape after she fell into a hole that had opened up in the floor as she was walking towards an escalator at a train station.

She suffered only abrasions in the heart-stopping incident, which happened at around 10am on Saturday.

In a video clip posted on Chinese video platform Pear Video, the woman is seen walking behind a male companion when part of the floor in front of the escalator suddenly collapses under her feet.

She falls in and disappears from view while her companion frantically reaches in to help her.

Passers-by then rush over to help, and she is lifted up and out of the hole.

Train operator Shenzhen Metro later said on its official Sina Weibo account that the woman had stepped on a damaged manhole cover and fallen inside.

"Her fellow commuter and other commuters helped to pull her up," said the Shenzhen Metro. "Train station staff subsequently rushed to the scene and accompanied her to the hospital."

The woman had abrasions on her arms, legs and other areas, but was discharged soon after as she was not badly injured.