This is the moment a fireman saves the day as he carries a large gas canister billowing flames out of a restaurant with 15 people inside.

The footage shows Alexis Ramirez, age not stated, singlehandedly carrying the ablaze gas canister on his shoulders out of the restaurant in the neighbourhood Colonia del Valle in the borough of Benito Juarez in Mexico City. It quickly went viral, with local media and netizens alike praising the fireman for his bravery.

Ramirez told the programme De Pisa y Corre on channel Imagen Television: “When we went inside, we noticed the fire, but it was only when we got closer that we realised it was a canister.”

The fireman said he put the chances of the gas canister exploding at 80 percent, given its high temperature. However, that did not deter him from picking it up and running out of the building with it on his shoulders.

The video footage of the incident shows how Ramirez’ colleagues are then able to put out the fire with their hoses without the canister exploding.

Ramirez said: “Nothing else went through my mind other than saving those of us who were inside, as in the Fire Brigade, our main aim is to safeguard human lives. Inside the building were my firefighter colleagues, police officers and Civil Defence officers.”

Ramirez revealed he was inspired to become a fireman after going with his aunt to see his fireman uncle at his workplace when he was a young boy. He said he enjoys the adrenaline of the job.

He added: “My mum congratulated me, but she also cried with the anguish of everything that happened.”

Ramirez said he plans to continue working as a fireman as long as he is able to do so.