Egypt's 'Spiderman' climbs gas pipe, rescues family from fire

CAIRO – 24 March 2019: Gehad Youssef, a dweller of Cairo's Al-Zawya al-Hamra humble neighborhood, managed to rescue a four-member family on Saturday from an apartment fire before the civil defense cars could reach the scene.

A video went viral on social media showing Youssef climbing up a gas pipe to save a father, a daughter, and her two children: Mohamed, 6, and Nour, 9. Many Twitter users gave Youssef the nickname of Spiderman.



Cairo Governor Khaled Abdel Aal met with Youssef and some of his family members, and honored the young man, who he said put his life in danger to save the family in the apartment.

The governor said in an interview with Ahmed Moussa on Saturday that a short circuit and a gas cylinder explosion were both behind the fire. He added that the civil defense reached the incident shortly after the incident took place.

Mohamed Awad, the father and the apartment owner, told state's Akhbar al-Youm that the fire was caused after a light bulb exploded and its sparks hit a blanket that is made of synthetic fibers, and could also reach some other cotton blankets.

Awad said that he and his daughter failed to put it off, as the black smoke and lack of breathable air made them unable to approach the fire.

The story can be very close to the story of Malian migrant Mamoudou Gassama, who saved a four-year old boy.

Gassama, who had been residing in France illegally, was thanked personally by France's Emmanuel Macron, received international acclaim for his bravery, and was granted the French citizenship for his heroic act.


Cairo governor honors Gehad Youssef for rescuing four people in Cairo's al-Zawya al-Hamra – Press photo