RismadarVoice Reporters, August 17, 2026
A woman trapped in a burning high-rise apartment building in Berlin made a dramatic escape after jumping from an 11th-floor ledge into a firefighter’s rescue basket.
The incident occurred on Friday morning as flames tore through an 18-storey residential building in the Friedrichshain district of the German capital.
According to police, the fire began in an apartment on the 11th floor at about 6:30 a.m. before spreading to the floor above. Flames were seen shooting from several windows as thick black smoke engulfed parts of the building.
Video of the rescue showed the woman climbing out of her apartment and moving along an exterior window ledge while flames and smoke billowed from a neighbouring apartment.
A firefighter was positioned several metres below her in the basket of a turntable ladder deployed for the rescue operation.
The woman initially tried to make her way down to the apartment below but struggled to find a secure foothold. After several tense moments, she released her grip and jumped approximately two floors into the rescue basket.
The firefighter caught her safely.
Police said the woman, whose identity was not disclosed, sustained minor injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment.
The fire affected about 115 people, with 25 residents rescued or assisted to safety using fire-escape hoods and a turntable ladder.
Thirteen people suffered minor injuries and received emergency medical attention, with some taken to nearby hospitals.
Authorities described the operation as particularly demanding because of the number of residents affected and the scale of the fire.
Emergency crews deployed 18 fire engines, two aerial ladder trucks and nine ambulances, among other resources, to battle the blaze and evacuate residents.
The cause of the fire had not been established as of the latest report.
