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Malian migrant who saved 4-yr-old child to get honorary French citizenship

Gassama, who shot to fame across the world for his daring rescue, is being hailed as a national hero with many calling him ‘spiderman’. 

Malian migrant who saved 4-yr-old child to get honorary French citizenship

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks with Mamoudou Gassama from Mali, at the presidential Elysee Palace in Paris, on Monday. (Photo: AFP)

The 22-year-old illegal Malian migrant, who scaled a building to rescue a child dangling from the fourth-floor balcony of a building in the 18th Arrondissement in Paris, will get honorary French citizenship. French President Emmanuel Macron declared this on Monday.

Mamoudou Gassama, who met with Macron after a video of his rescue opertion went viral on social media, will also be offered a place in the fire brigade, the president added.

Macron took to Twitter to share details about the interaction, saying that Mr Gassama saved the life of a child by climbing four floors with his bare hands. I announce… that in recognition of this heroic act, he would be regularised as soon as possible, and that the brigade of the firemen of Paris was ready to receive it. (Translated from French)

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Gassama, who shot to fame across the world for his daring rescue, is being hailed as a national hero with many calling him ‘spiderman’.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo also lauded the 22-year-old’s heroism, and said she had called him to thank him in person.

Hidaldo in a tweet, said that congratulations to Mamoudou Gassama for his act of bravery that saved the life of a child…I had the pleasure of talking to him today over phone to thank him warmly. (Translated from French)

Earlier, the Paris Mayor had hailed Gassama as the “Spiderman of the 18th”, a reference to the Paris district where the rescue took place.

In a tweet, she had said that like many Parisians want to know, who is the Spiderman of the 18th so that i can congratulate him. (Translated from French)

Daring rescue

Video of the 22-year-old Mamoudou Gassama’s spectacular rescue went viral on social media on Sunday. Reports say that the incident took place on Saturday evening on a street in the north of the city.

It just took Gassama about 35 seconds to climb the balconies, grab the child and pull him back to safety.

The child clung on to the balcony with help from a neighbour who had somehow managed to hold the four-year-old boy by stretching himself from an adjoining balcony.

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