A bus driver has been sacked and a devastated mother has spoken out after a terrifying incident in which a young boy was dragged down a suburban street for hundreds of metres after getting trapped in a door.

The 12-year-old, who has been publicly named only as Nathaniel, was getting off the public bus he catches to high school in Wheelers Hill, in suburban Melbourne, a month ago when the driver unknowingly closed the back door before he was fully out.

Nathanial’s backpack and one of his arms was caught in the door, and he was dragged more than 350 metres down Brandon Park Drive

He managed to keep a tight grip on a safety railing inside the bus and held his knees to his chest as he was dragged along the road. He narrowly missed several parked cars.

The driver noticed Nathaniel caught on the door only as he was nearing the next stop, and pulled over.

Nathaniel’s distraught mother, Grace Pan, shared a compilation of the disturbing incident from multiple neighbourhood CCTV cameras, which has been picked up by multiple media outlets. She said it was a miracle he hadn’t been seriously injured.

“When I saw [the video] I just broke down and cried,” Pan told the Seven Network.

“It almost felt surreal, you know? Why did this have to happen to him?

“He’s just a normal boy going to school — he should be safe.”

The bus company involved, Ventura, said the driver involved had been sacked following an internal investigation.

“This is a very distressing incident, and we will continue to support the passenger and family at this time,” a spokesperson said.

“The safety of our passengers is our priority. We have emphasised our safety protocols with all drivers and will implement a review to enhance driver training programs.”

Victoria Police said it was aware of the incident, which it believed happened in March. It said it wasn’t reported to police at the time, and inquiries were being made.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said she was thinking of Nathaniel and his family.

“Every parent wants to make sure their child gets to school safely, and that footage was just a shocking incident,” she said.

“My thoughts are with that young boy and his family and carers, who are clearly distressed.”

Pan said her son had anxiety following the incident and was no longer confident to catch the bus alone.

“He’s seeing a psychologist to help him process his trauma,” she said.

She said the bus was travelling so fast that if Nathaniel had been any taller he would have been dragged along the road, any bigger and he wouldn’t have been able to hold on.

“There have been no acknowledgement of the safety failures identified, no commitment to improve operational procedures or safety training, no review of their technology and equipment and zero incident transparency,” she said.