A PLAQUE to mark the 30th anniversary of the Bradford City fire disaster will be mounted at Brazil’s national football museum after being arranged by UK’s deputy head of mission who was injured in the tragedy.

Wasim Mir, then aged 13, suffered burns to his head and hand in the blaze at Valley Parade on May 11, 1985, which cost 56 lives and left about 265 people injured, some horrifically.

Now he will be unveiling a plaque at the Museu do Futebol in Sao Paulo in a service next Tuesday to remember those who died in the disaster.

Mr Mir, who was a student at Rhodesway School, now known as Dixons Allerton Academy, moved to South America last year to become the deputy head of mission to the British Ambassador to Brazil, Alex Ellis.

He said: "This is of particular importance to me as I am from Bradford and was in the main stand on the day of the fire suffering burns to my head and hand.

"So it’s a real honour to be doing this here in Brazil.

"Unveiling a plaque at the Football Museum here in Brazil, a country so closely linked with football, is really special."

Mr Mir, now 43, recalls his memories of the fateful day at Valley Parade.

He said: "I had been taken to the match by my uncle to celebrate Bradford City collecting the league trophy.

"I remember walking calmly along the back of the stand when all of a sudden smoke was everywhere.

"After that I just remember running towards the pitch as fast as I could.

"I could feel the heat on my head and covered my head with my hand to protect it.

"After that I just wondered around the pitch looking for my uncle and starting to panic.

"Luckily, I eventually found him unhurt.

"Although I saw the policy carrying away a body in a make shift stretcher made out of a police jacket the extent of the what happened didn’t register.

"It only dawned on me later when I went to Bradford Royal Infirmary to have my hand looked at and saw hundreds of people with burns.

"I then saw even more going to school on Monday and hearing that a friend, his sister and dad had lost their lives in the fire."

Mr Mir started his role in Brazil in July last year and over the next three years he will act as an advisor, help support British nationals abroad and forge trade links between the UK and Brazil.

He is also working towards getting 10,000 Brazilian students to the UK under the Brazilians Government's Science Without Borders project and is gearing up for next year's Rio Olympics.

A memorial service to mark the 30th anniversary of the tragedy takes place in Centenary Square, Bradford, on Monday from 11am during which the names of the 56 victims will be read out.