This is the moment two men carry a tall ladder to save a little girl who had slipped through burglar bars and was hanging by her hands and feet from the metal.

The little girl was spotted dangling above the 30ft drop of a residential building in the city of Chenzhou in Hunan Province southern China on October 25.

She had likely ventured outside from the first-floor flat to play on the bars but accidentally slipped through and was unable to pull herself back up.

Her parents reportedly were not home at the time and neighbours were the first ones to discover the girl. Witnesses said they did not know how long she clung onto the railing by her hands and feet and they immediately initiated a rescue operation.

Phone footage shows two women on the ground holding a thick quilt as a cushion in case she fell. Meanwhile, others comforted her, saying they were there for her and she should not be afraid.

Two men brought a long ladder and placed it right under the railing. One of them climbed up the sturdy, metal ladder and was able to reach her.

He held onto her as she slowly let go of the rail and was then able to climb back inside the flat. The entire process lasted around 10 minutes, during which the child cried out for her mum and dad.

Mr Kuang, one of the rescuers, later said that he and his brother happened to be working nearby at a construction site and had a ladder with them.

He said the child was barely holding on after she had cried herself into exhaustion by the time they found her.

Kuang told Chinese media: 'We were all very anxious, but we couldn't afford to be too impulsive; we had to stay calm.

'We also had to be mindful of our own safety because the ladder was not very stable and could potentially topple.

'After successfully rescuing the child, we all breathed a sigh of relief.

'We escorted her back to her home, explained the situation to her parents, and advised them to keep a closer watch on her, preventing such incidents in the future.

'We didn't overthink it; we just wanted to save the child as quickly as possible. We never considered seeking any rewards or gratitude. We simply felt it was the right thing to do. 'We are ordinary people, but we all have kind hearts.'