Astonishing video shows moment Syrian toddler pulled alive from rubble after Aleppo bombing

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Louise Thomas

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A toddler completely buried under rubble in Syria has been pulled out alive by rescuers who dug with their bare hands.

This video, posted on YouTube by Syrian activists, appears to show a recovery team frantically digging to rescue the trapped youngster in Aleppo, reportedly after government bombings

After apparently hearing cries while scouting for survivors, the group of men are seen desperately clawing masonry and dust away with their hands.

At first, the child cannot be seen but an arm and a head appears, then an orange jumper caked in dirt.

The toddler appears dazed but breathing, blinking slowly and shielding its eyes from the bright sunlight.

Triumphant cheers and shouts of “Allahu akbar” – “God is great” - ripple through the large crowd when the child is finally freed.

The footage was dated on Wednesday – the day after government air strikes on the rebel-held district.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 10 people including two children were killed in the bombardment aimed at a bus garage.

Aleppo has been at the centre of some of the fiercest fighting between government and rebel forces in the three-year civil war.

Estimates of the total death toll so far range between 98,000 and 130,000.