This is the shocking moment a dog suddenly attacks an elderly woman in the street and reportedly mauls her to death in front of her frantic sister.

The incident took place in the area of Nanshu in the city of Zhangzhou in the south-eastern Chinese province of Fujian at around 11.30am on 17th September.

In the CCTV footage, two elderly women are seen hurrying along a road as a large black dog follows them and attacks the woman in red.

The dog drags the victim to the ground and apparently mauls her head and neck area while her companion, reportedly her younger sister, tries to pull her free.

According to local media, the dog continued to bite and drag the woman for around two minutes after the video ends.

One local resident told reporters: “A fine woman, 70 years of age, was mauled to death by a dog while simply walking on the road.”

He added that he did not know if the dog was a stray or kept as a pet.

Jimu News contacted the victim’s son Mr Huang the following day and he confirmed that his deceased mother was 71 years old and born and raised in Nanshu.

He said the black dog was the pet of a restaurant owner in town and that his aunt, the victim’s sister, is an employee there.

Mr Huang said the dog, which is usually kept on a chain at the restaurant, was free that day.

According to the victim’s son, the animal became aggressive and suddenly bit his aunt in the restaurant, and the two women fled together.

The dog then followed the sisters onto the dirt road behind the restaurant where it attacked the victim.

Mr Huang said he reported the incident to the police, adding that he was unable to have constructive talks with the dog owner and claimed that the animal is still being kept at the restaurant.

The police have not confirmed whether the animal was a stray or owned by the restaurant owner and the investigation into the woman’s death is ongoing.