A SIX-YEAR-OLD Chinese boy was left dangling by his ears eight storeys above a bustling street after he slipped through window bars outside of his family's apartment.

Passers-by were stunned when they heard little Ming Ming's terrified screams and looked up to see him hanging by his head, The Sun reported.

The only thing stopping the lad from plunging to his death was the fact his head was wedged between two window bars.

Horrified neighbours in Yichang, Hubei Province, could only watch as emergency services raced to the scene.

They eventually arrived and managed to use a hydraulic pressure expander to force the bars apart and pulled Ming Ming back into his apartment.

The accident happened after the boy's grandfather left him sleeping in the flat so he could run an errand outside.

The boy woke up to find himself alone and is believed to have fallen from the window while looking out for his grandfather.

Fire service spokesman Wang Shen said the boy had a miraculous escape: "He could have fallen to the ground - or have been suffocated - at any minute."

See pictures of Ming Ming's rescue at The Sun