‘Spiderman’joins fire brigade as he awaits citizenship

Paris, May 29 

Mamoudou Gassama, the 22-year-old Malian “Spiderman” feted for saving a child hanging from a balcony, took his first step toward French citizenship today and joined the fire brigade as accolades continued to pour in over his daring rescue. Video footage of Gassama scaling four storeys of the building with his bare hands has catapulted the young man to global fame, and earned him the promise of citizenship from President Emmanuel Macron.

The hero of a rescue video viewed by millions of people appeared slightly overwhelmed by the media furore as he filed his application for legal residency in the Paris suburb of Bobigny. Yesterday, he was honoured by Macron with a medal for bravery, the promise of citizenship and the offer of a job with the fire service. — AFP