Dramatic pictures show moment baby was saved from burning wreckage of car before it exploded outside north London synagogue

 
Lucky escape: a firefighter at the scene in north London

Dramatic pictures show the moment a baby was plucked from the burning wreckage of a car seconds before it was engulfed in flames outside a synagogue in north London.

Two worshippers celebrating the Jewish holiday of Passover braved intense heat to free the child from a car seat after hearing the family’s screams for help.

An elderly man who had become panic-stricken and was unable to unfasten his seatbelt was also dragged free. Two other passengers managed to flee before the silver Peugeot 307 exploded.

Fire: a man prepares to help rescue a passenger from the car

The family were taken into the synagogue in Craven Park Road, Tottenham, to recover as firefighters arrived to tackle the flames.

Witnesses today told how the two men rushed to the rescue after hearing screams and the sound of an explosion on Sunday night.

The two men, one named locally as Moses Kupermann and the other a visiting Israeli national called Shlomo, who is a former member of the Israeli military, were both praised for their “heroic” actions.

Michael Block, who worships at the synagogue, told the Standard: “The people in the car realised there was going to be a problem and tried to get out, then fire started coming out.

Destroyed: the burnt out interior of the car including what was a baby seat

“One of the men is called Shlomo and he is an ex-Isreali soldier. He judged that the car was not going to blow up straight away and went to help. He was very brave.

“The family in the car were beside themselves and in shock. Shlomo is a lovely chap and he hasn’t been in this country for very long.

Wreckage: the Peugeot 307

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“He is a well-meaning guy who saw there was a problem and went to try and help. He is definitely a local hero.”

A London Fire Brigade spokesman said: “We were called at 5.14pm to a car alight. We sent a fire engine from Tottenham. The fire was out by 5.30pm.”

A Met Police spokesman said police the incident was not being treated as suspicious.

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