Paris attacks: Ludovic Boumbas died throwing himself in front of bullet to save woman's life
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Version 0 of 1. Amid the carnage and destruction wreaked by terrorists on the streets of Paris, moments of heroism are beginning to emerge. Ludovic Boumbas was enjoying a birthday meal with friends when gunmen began to fire bullets at people sitting on the terrace of La Belle Epique bar in the Rue de Charonne in the 11th district. Mr Boumbas, 40, was a Congolese man who grew up in Lille, northern France, according to French newspaper Liberation. The woman he saved is believed to be in hospital in a critical condition. A friend of Mr Boumbas told the MailOnline: “Ludo threw himself to protect a girl and took the bullet. “She was also shot, but survived and is in hospital.” Friends described Mr Boumbas as someone who loved people and travelling. “He was just one of life’s good, good people,” they added. Mr Boumbas was attending the 35th birthday party of waitress Houda Saadi when two gunmen descended on the bar. Ms Saadi and her sister, Halima, 36, were among the people killed outside the restaurant, according to News24.com. Halima Saadi, born in Menzel Bourguiba, Tunisia, is understood to be the mother of two young children, aged three and six, according to the Daily Mail. The tirade on the intimate restaurant occurred at 9:35pm, when two attackers arrived in a black vehicle and sprayed bullets over the bar's terrace, killing at least 19 people. David Hadjadje, 31, who lives nearby, told the Telegraph he saw people “panicked, shocked”. He said: “Some of the people were drunk – it was after all a Friday night- and they didn’t understand what was going on.” “It lasted three minutes,” one witness told the BBC. “Then they got back in the car and headed towards Charonne station.” A further nine people are believed to be in a critical condition in hospital including the women Mr Boumbas saved. |