West Vale bus drama: Meet the teenage hero who rescued a baby after car on fire crashed into bus in village near Halifax

Aleira Kiran, an A-level student at The Crossley Heath School and Ryburn Valley High School, was among around 40 people on the 503 when it was crashed into by a car on fire last Wednesday.

Dramatic video – described by many as like something from a Hollywood blockbuster – captured the moment the car hit the First vehicle.

“I was upstairs at the front and all I could see was flames,” said Aleira. “It was like something out of Final Destination.”

The 18-year-old was on the 503 on her way home to Huddersfield when the bus had to stop because a car was on fire on Long Wall.

Some passengers got off to take get a closer look at the burning car but she and many others stayed put.

"Then we started hearing gun shot noises and it was the tyres bursting,” said Aleira.

"People who were stood near were moving away and people on the bus were discussing what to do when the car rolled down and into the bus.

"Everyone panicked.”

There was chaos as everyone scrambled to get off the bus. When Aleira finally managed to get downstairs, she saw two women with prams and a baby who were struggling to get off because of the mayhem.

“A man was saying he would help, and for me to go, but I couldn’t leave,” said Aleira.

“One of the women was saying ‘Someone needs to take my kid’. She was in tears, so I took the baby and put my hood up to shield her.

"She was a little girl, between one and two years old.

“It all happened so quickly.”

The mother finally managed to get off the bus and thanked Aleira.

The teenager, who is a qualified boxing coach and runs free boxing classes for other youngsters, says she is still getting over the shock of the incident.

"People on the 503 are still talking about it,” she said. “Hopefully I’ll never be in a situation like that again.”

Her dad, Mohammed Shakeel Faraz, an entrepreneur from Liversedge who founded Heckmondwike food bank The Wishing Well, said: “We’re so proud of her. She has always put others first.

"She is inspirational.”