A drone video caught the terrifying moment a demolition worker failed to get into a crane cradle as a stadium collapses in St Petersburg.

Matvey Kucherov, 29, died in the rubble unable to cling onto the lifting hoist as the structure caves in, say reports.

A second worker is seen in the cradle and escaped alive.

Demolition worker Matvey Kucherov, 29, can be seen working on the platform on top of the stadium in St Petersburg

As the structure begins to give, Kucherov races towards the crane, which would have been able to save his life

With additional demolition blasts, the platform completely tears away, while Kucherov still tries to reach it

There were fears that more workers were trapped under the building slabs, and searched led by the Russian Emergencies Ministry were underway.

The appalling scene was caught by a drone from Fontanka news agency in St Petersburg.

The tragedy came as workers cleared the site of St Petersburg Sports and Concert Complex in Russia’s second city.

The world’s largest ice arena is scheduled to be built on the site.

The workers were cutting the structures by which the stadium wall was attached to the roofing when the sudden collapse happened.

Here, the platform can be seen collapsing as Kucherov's coworker swings off in the lift