Two Children Caught By Crowd After Jumping 40ft From Burning Building

Two kids were forced to jump 40ft from a burning building before caught by heroic onlookers.

Shocking footage shows the moment the two youngsters dropped from the third floor of the building as bystanders urged them to jump.

Rescuer Athoumani Walid, 25, said he and 'five or six' others 'held out our arms and asked them to, 'jump, jump, jump''.

The terrifying incident played out in Saint Martin d'Hères on the outskirts of Grenoble in France on Tuesday (21 July).

Thanks to the actions of the crowd that gathered below, neither child was harmed, other than suffering from smoke inhalation.

Unfortunately, Walid's arm was broken by the force of the catch and another man sustained a fracture to his arm. Both were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Souhaila Saidi via Storyful

Speaking to Le Parisien, Walid, a student, said: "I saw the two children screaming. They were at the window on the third floor.

"There was a lot of smoke, flames, explosions, even inside the building. The children were scared. They were crying."

He added: "We really did save their lives!"

Neighbour Souhaila Saidi, who filmed the rescue, said she felt 'anxious and stressed' watching the two kids get ready to jump.

She added: "Luckily they jumped one after the other without being seriously injured."

Mayor of Grenoble Eric Piolle congratulated residents for their heroic actions. Posting on Facebook, he said: "I would like to congratulate the inhabitants of Villeneuve who made a heroic rescue of two children trapped in their burning apartment today.

"Hand in hand, they allowed the two little ones to get out unharmed from this drama."

Facebook

He added: "Wishing a very good recovery to those who were slightly injured during this impromptu rescue."

According to reports, the eldest of the two kids, who have not been identified, was heard to shout: "We don't have the keys to go out. We don't have the keys!" shortly before they jumped.

According to the Daily Mail, an investigation has since been launched into what caused the fire and why the children had been left unattended in the flat.

Topics: World News

Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at LADbible who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats. You can contact Claire at [email protected]

@ClaireReid19