BEIJING - A shop owner in China's Kaifeng city, in the central Henan province, has been hailed as a hero after coming to the rescue of a two-year-old girl who was dangling off the side of a runaway three-wheeler heading towards a wall.

In a video that has gone viral, the unidentified man is seen dashing towards the rapidly moving three-wheeler to rescue the young girl before being knocked down. The impact slowed the vehicle down and caused the young girl to fall off safely, the video posted on the South China Morning Post website showed.

The girl's parents had left the girl alone to buy something with the keys left in the ignition. It is unclear how the vehicle started, but the toddler is seen dangling precariously on one side as it begins to rapidly accelerate as people run behind.

The child was uninjured in the incident, but the man suffered several scratches and two of his front teeth were knocked loose. Passers-by are seen coming to their aid after the dramatic rescue.

The man himself said his injuries were "not a big deal".

But on Chinese social media, users were full of praise for him.

"He saved a life without caring about his own safety. I wish him all the best," wrote one user.

"It's true that Supermen are all around us," read another post.