3 and 10-year-old siblings survive jump from burning third-floor apartment

Through the help of their neighbours, two young children were saved from a fire in their home in Grenoble, eastern France. The unsupervised children were alone in the flat when a fire broke out in the home. A heart-stopping video showed the children jumping from the third-floor window into a crowd gathered below. The neighbours stepped in to rescue the children from the inferno. An investigation has been launched into the incident.

A fire broke out on July 21 in the neighbourhood of Le Villeneuve district of Grenoble. Videos shared on social media showed flames and black smoke billowing out from the third-floor apartment. The situation became dire when neighbours realised that two young children were stuck inside the burning home.

Athoumani Walid, a resident of Le Villeneuve, recalled hearing shouting and witnessing the smoke coming from the building. Walid rushed towards the commotion to find the three-year-old and 10-year-old residents of the home leaning out of an open window. The 10-year-old told the crowd gathered below that their parents had left them locked in the home and they did not have the keys to get out.

In the video, the crowd can be seen bracing under the window to catch the children. They encouraged the children to jump out one by one. The older child first dangled the younger sibling out the window before letting go of his arm. The crowd under the window successfully caught the first child. The crowd then regrouped to catch the bigger child. As the child jumped, the rescuers absorbed the fall ensuring the child's safety.

The Daily Mail reported that Walid and another man injured their arms while catching the children. They were treated at the hospital for their injuries. Both the children were taken to a hospital for medical assessment. Apart from suffering mild smoke inhalation, both siblings were unharmed.

The names of the children have not been revealed due to legal reasons. It is unknown why the parents had left the children locked in the flat alone. An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the fire as well.