Mind the gap: Woman gets trapped in Shanghai travelator after stepping on missing floor plate

A grocery run went awry for one woman in China after she found her lower body trapped in a malfunctioning travelator. 

The incident occurred at a supermarket in Shanghai on April 4 at about 4.30pm, Chinese media reported. 

CCTV footage of the incident showed that the travelator had a missing floor plate. The woman stepped into the gap and fell, with her lower body trapped. 

Noticing the woman in distress, a female passer-by came to her aid, while another man rushed to press the emergency stop button. 

The pair were unable to pull the trapped woman out of the malfunctioning travelator.

The woman was eventually rescued by firefighters who removed the floor plates and used hydraulic equipment to free her. 

After a gruelling 30-minute rescue, the woman was taken to the hospital, reported CCTV News.

Speaking to the media, the woman's husband, surnamed Lu, said that she is currently in the intensive care unit at a hospital. 

She has since undergone two surgeries to treat her injuries, and will require a skin graft.

The woman also faces the risks of infection and amputation, Lu said.

He added that the supermarket management is in contact with them, and the authorities are investigating the matter. 

READ ALSO: 'I might have already become an amputee': Commuter's footwear chewed by escalator at Woodlands MRT station

claudiatan@asiaone.com