Surveillance footage shows the tragic moment a young woman falls into a canal and drowns after walking and playing on her mobile phone at the same time.

The victim, who could not swim , struggles in the water for over a minute before disappearing beneath the surface.

Reports said the 28-year-old drowning victim, identified by her surname Wang, was on her way home one evening last week when she crossed a bridge and walked along a canal.

The tragic incident occurred in Houyang Village, in Wenzhou , a city in China’s eastern Zhejiang Province.

Black and white village surveillance cameras captured the scenes as Wang could be seen walking with her head down, staring at the screen of her mobile phone.

CENWoman falls into canal while texting and drownsAccident: The woman fell into canal while using her phone and sadly died at the scene
She then slowly walks towards the right until she loses her footing and falls into the water.

What follows is 90 seconds of the young woman struggling to stay afloat and eventually drowning, with no-one around to rescue her.

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Her husband reportedly thought his wife had stayed with a friend that night, and only discovered the tragedy the next morning when he was told his wife’s shoes had been found floating downstream.

GettyWenzhou, Zhejiang Province, ChinaDrowned: The woman died following the accident in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
Local villagers said the canal is only about five feet deep but is filled with slippery mud.

Authorities have taken the opportunity to warn the public about paying attention to their surroundings, and not to be distracted by mobile phones when walking, especially while crossing the road or a bridge.