This is the shocking moment a wannabe chef's blowtorch erupted in flames while she was cooking a pork leg.

CCTV footage shows the butcher igniting the torch to sear the meat as four customers waited in line in Fujian, China, on March 19.

Suddenly, the device emitted a huge burst of fire, sending panic through the room.

A quick-thinking man grabbed a damp towel and covered the lighter in an attempt to smother the flames. Another worker rushed over with a large pan of water and poured it over the fire, preventing it from spreading across the table.

However, the torch continued to burn, spewing fires onto the ground.

The shop owner said: 'They eventually extinguished the fire, and we are grateful to the customer who stepped in. No one was injured, and we will ensure that incidents like this do not happen again.'