Firefighters have rescued a 3-year-old boy in Sichuan province after he caught his hand in a meat mincing machine at a market stall.

According to the West China Metropolis Daily, a man named Zhang, the owner of a pork stall at a farm produce market in Cangxi county, took his toddler to work early on Monday morning.

While Zhang was busy serving customers, his son put his left hand into the meat mincing machine, which was working at the time, causing him to cry out in pain.

Zhang cut off the power and called local firefighters who found the boy's hand tightly trapped in the mincer.

They broke the machine open with a forcible entry tool, freeing the child. As they worked, they kept the boy's hand cool by pouring water into it, fearing that the heat generated by the rescue tool might cause burns.

The boy's left palm had been injured, but no bones were broken. The newspaper report said the boy is making a good recovery.