A woman in Canada has survived a near 5,000ft fall from a skydiving plane after her parachute failed to open.

Witnesses described seeing her plunge to the ground and crashing into trees at a skydiving centre in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec.

Local police told CBC that the woman suffered several fractures, including broken vertebrae - but her life is not in danger.

Witness Denis Demers told Radio-Canada that is appeared neither the main parachute nor the emergency backup opened.

"It's a miracle," he said. "I don't know how a person can survive a fall from an airplane like that."

Another witness, Oceane Duplessis, told CBC she was getting ready to get on another plane when she saw the woman.

"We watched all the way to the end. We kept hoping something would happen," she said. "We were very worried. Very."

Police are investigating to see if there was any criminal negligence involved.

The skydiving company involved, Parachutisme Adrénaline, has opened its own investigation and has yet to comment.