- A teacher who does not live in the apartment block climbed a burning building in Gachie using drainage pipes after children alerted him to trapped kids inside
- The man reached a balcony where a little girl was crying helplessly and lowered her to safety in a dramatic rescue caught on camera
- Two of the girl's siblings did not survive the fire, and Kenyans are now calling for the teacher to receive formal recognition for his bravery
A teacher who had no connection to the children inside a burning apartment block in Gachie became an unlikely hero on Saturday after scaling the blazing structure bare-handed to pull a trapped girl to safety.
Source: Getty Images
The fire broke out along Kiuna Road in Gachie, sending residents scrambling in panic. In the middle of the chaos, a group of children ran across the road to alert a nearby teacher that other children were still inside the burning building.
The man was not a resident of the block, and the children were not even his own pupils. That detail did not stop him.
Teacher scales building without safety equipment
Without safety equipment of any kind, the teacher grabbed hold of the building's drainage pipes and hauled himself up the exterior of the structure, storey by storey, as the fire raged.
He eventually reached the balcony where a young girl stood crying, staring into the flames with nowhere to go.
Rather than wait for help that had not yet arrived, he took hold of the child, swung outward and lowered her down to the balcony on the floor below before guiding her to safety on the ground.
Teacher hailed as shujaa after heroic work
A Facebook page shared a post praising the teacher's courage and announced that efforts were underway to trace him so he could receive proper recognition.
"If this isn't a true life HERO, Superman, I don't know what is. HAPPY MASHUJAA DAY teacher," the post read.
The rescue, as courageous as it was, could not save everyone.
Kenyans search for heroic teacher
Two of the little girl's siblings perished in the fire, casting a heavy shadow over an act that many Kenyans are already calling one of the bravest they have ever witnessed.
The tragedy unfolded just days before Mashujaa Day, Kenya's national holiday honouring heroes, lending the story a poignant timing that was not lost on those who shared it.
The teacher's identity had not been confirmed publicly as at the time of reporting, but the search for him was already underway, with members of the public and online communities joining the call to ensure his act of selfless courage does not go unacknowledged.
Mother, four children die in house fire
In another story, TUKO also highlighted facts about a mother and her four children who died after a fire engulfed their home in Okochiri, Rivers State.
Community youths could not reach the family in time, and investigators worked to establish what caused the blaze.
Source: TUKO.co.ke