This is the moment a huge block of ice falls from the roof of a building and onto the head of a mother and her baby on the pavement below.

The incident took place on Oktyabrskaya Street in the city of Veliky Novgorod in the north-western Russian region of Novgorod Oblast on 8th February.

According to reports, the building’s management company had organised for workers to clear the snow from the roof, causing the huge block of ice to fall to the pavement.

Preliminary reports said the mother was hospitalised with neck and back injuries, while her child was uninjured in the incident.

In the footage, the mother is seen standing on the pavement as she tends to her child in the pushchair.

Meanwhile, a section of ice falls from the edge of the roof and plummets to the ground.

The ice whacks the unsuspecting woman on the head and apparently showers the baby stroller.

The stunned mother then falls front-first to the ground, and the pushchair is knocked over too.

The woman is seen slowly getting up as the video comes to an end.

The local authorities announced that an investigation has been launched under Part 1 of Article 238 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which concerns the fulfilment of works or rendering of services that do not meet safety standards.