08.07.2025 15:00
In a fire that broke out on the 6th floor of an apartment building in Paris, four babies were rescued thanks to the extraordinary bravery of the building's caretaker, Fousseynou Cissé. During the fire, Cissé climbed to the exterior and called out to the families inside through the smoke-filled windows, rescuing the children one by one. In total, Cissé brought four children and two adults to safety.
In the capital of France, Paris, four babies trapped in an apartment on the 6th floor during a fire were rescued thanks to the extraordinary courage of a building superintendent.
The 39-year-old janitor named Fousseynou Cissé climbed out onto a narrow ledge on the exterior of the building during the fire and called out to the families inside. Reaching the parents inside through a smoke-filled window, Cissé took the children one by one and handed them to someone in the neighboring building.
First, Cissé rescued a five-month-old baby, then he brought out another child who was one year old using the same method. But he didn't stop there; he managed to get a total of four children and two adults to safety.
The incident occurred in an apartment building in northern Paris. Cissé described the moment:
"I was lying on the couch when I saw a mother asking for help with her baby from the window. I told my wife to take our child and go outside, and I immediately ran to help. I didn't think at all; I just wanted to save lives."
The fire started on the second floor, but the smoke quickly spread to the upper floors. When the stairs became unusable, families trapped on the upper floors were left helpless.
Cissé climbed out of a roof window of another apartment and spread his legs to balance in the gap between the two buildings. In this way, he handed the children to the person in the opposite building.
"I didn't hesitate when I saw my neighbors in a panic," he said.
"I spread my legs between the two buildings and held steady while I brought the children out."
A woman named Naomi, who was in the house during the fire, was trying to save her neighbor's babies along with her own children. However, due to the thick smoke, almost nothing was visible inside.
Naomi:
"We didn't know where to go. Everything was smoky. Our only option was to shout outside," she said.
Thanks to Cissé's heroic intervention, no one lost their life. However, 10 people were hospitalized due to smoke inhalation.
The French Ministry of the Interior announced that Cissé, who was declared the "hero of the 18th district," would be officially rewarded.
The incident caused a huge stir on social media. French senator Rémi Féraud wrote the following about Cissé:
"A true example of courage. Fousseynou Cissé truly deserves the appreciation of Paris."
Member of the European Parliament Matthieu Valet used the following words:
"He had neither a helmet nor equipment... He saved the lives of four children and a mother with just his courage."