Story By: Feza Uzay, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency:  Newsflash

A heroic fireman who helped to save a family from a fire has had a heart attack shortly after forgoing his own oxygen mask to lend it to a rescued child.

The fire broke out in a basement apartment occupied by an Afghan family in the neighbourhood of Mumcu in the district of Yakutiye in the north-eastern Turkish province of Erzurum at around 4am yesterday (Monday, 17th January).

Erzurum Metropolitan Municipality firefighters were dispatched to the scene after locals called the emergency services.

The authorities currently believe that the fire began after a stove was left burning at night and the flames spread.

The firefighters entered the apartment through the window and removed Roghayyeh Alavi, 34, and her daughters Zehra, 17, Zohre, 16, and Zeynep, 14, who had been affected by the smoke.

The video, filmed by the Erzurum Metropolitan Municipality fire service, shows the firefighters taking the mother out and carrying her to an ambulance.

The mother, whose health was reportedly most affected by the thick smoke in the apartment, was immediately taken to hospital.

The video then shows the firefighters rescuing the children from the apartment one by one, and one of the firefighters, who has been named as Yucel Kucuk, age not disclosed, can be seen putting his own oxygen mask on one of the children until another ambulance arrives.

After a while, Kucuk reportedly started feeling unwell, and he was taken to hospital by his colleagues.

Medics determined that the firefighter, who was admitted to the intensive care unit, had suffered a heart attack after being affected by the smoke.

Meanwhile, the three sisters were taken to Ataturk University Research Hospital by ambulance.

The mother, Roghayyeh Alavi, was reportedly intubated. She and her children were all said to be in a serious condition at the time of reporting.

There have been no updates on the condition of the firefighter who suffered the heart attack.