Fire union chief blasts ‘back-to-front’ Grenfell report for probing rescue teams first

Victims of the Grenfell fire were remembered during seven harrowing days of commemorations as the inquiry into the disaster opened at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel.  

The families and friends of three victims, Marco Gottardi, flat 202, Abdeslam Sebbar, flat 81, and Sheila, flat 137, chose not to publicly commemorate their loved ones.

Here are the people who lost their lives in the blaze, in the order they were remembered by their family and friends:

– Logan Gomes (floor 21)

Logan Gomes was stillborn in hospital after his mother Andreia escaped from the 21st floor with her husband and two young girls.

His mother and father gave an emotional tribute to their ‘beautiful sleeping angel’ sharing images of them cradling the newborn, whose due date was in August.

His father, Marcio Gomes, said through tears: ‘He might not be here physically but he will always be here in our hearts, and will be forever. I know he’s here, with God, right next to me, giving me strength and courage to take this forward.’

– Denis Murphy (floor 14)

Father-of-one Denis Murphy, 56, was described as the ‘lynchpin’ of his family whose ‘cheeky smile’ was hard to forget.

His sister Anne-Marie recalled during her tribute how Mr Murphy had once joined the Unite bus union to the bafflement of his family, as he could not drive a car, ‘let alone a bus’.

Denis Murphy 

‘The reason is that he wanted to be a part of the campaign to make his voice and the voice of the community in Grenfell Tower heard.’

–  Mohamed Amied Neda (floor 23)

Mohamed Amied Neda, 57, lived on the top floor of the block and died from injuries consistent with a fall.

Known as Saber, he had fled the Taliban in Afghanistan to find a new home in Britain with his wife Flora and son Farhad, moving into Grenfell Tower in 1999.

His final recorded words – left for family members on the night of the fire – were played during one of the inquiry’s more harrowing moments, and were: ‘Goodbye, we are leaving this world now, goodbye. I hope I haven’t disappointed you. Goodbye to all.’

–  Joseph Daniels 

Little was disclosed about Joseph Daniels during a presentation on the first day of the inquiry, as his son, Samuel, spoke for only seconds.

The 69-year-old moved to Grenfell Tower in 1982.

Samuel requested no applause before saying: ‘The events of that night took his life and all traces of his existence from this world. He stood no chance of getting out and this should never have happened.’

– Mary Mendy and Khadija Saye (floor 20)

Mary Mendy was remembered in presentations across two days, during which it was heard she had moved to the UK from Gambia, west Africa, in the 1980s.

The 54-year-old died in Grenfell Tower with her daughter Khadija Saye, having moved there in 1993.

A statement by her niece Marion Telfer read at the inquiry said: ‘She was warm and kind, she welcomed everyone into her home. Grenfell Tower was a place all her family and friends could find shelter if they ever needed it.’

Mary Mendy and Khadija Saye 

Mary Mendy and Khadija Saye 

One of the fire’s most high-profile victims, Khadija Saye, 24, died when she was on the cusp of a major career breakthrough.

Her friend David Lammy, MP for Tottenham, was among those on stage during her commemoration, which featured a snippet from the BBC documentary she had been due to appear in, following her as she launched a photography exhibition in Venice.

Her father, Mohammadou Saye, said in a statement read by his solicitor: ‘Khadija said to me one day: ‘Daddy, I’m in love with images’ – it was this passion that Khadija pursued to the end because it gave her great satisfaction and brough her some joy and happiness.

– Debbie Lamprell (floor 19)

The 45-year-old Debbie Lamprell, who worked front of house at Opera Holland Park (OHP), was described as always having a smile on her face and living a ‘happy and fulfilled’ life.

In a statement, her mother Miriam said: ‘She really loved her work, she was really, really happy with her life.

Where the victims were found 

Where the victims were found 

‘You rarely saw my Debbie without a smile. People took to Debbie because she was a friendly, easy person.’

– Maria del Pilar Burton (floor 19)

Maria del Pilar Burton is now considered the 72nd victim of the fire, despite dying in January after experiencing a stroke.

The 74-year-old, known as Pily, suffered from dementia, a condition which worsened badly after the disaster and meant she never left hospital, her husband, Nicholas Burton, said.

Her vibrancy and passion for cooking, fashion and dancing were among the qualities remembered by Mr Burton during the inquiry, who said: ‘She was a unique, beautiful, exceptional person until this tragedy had taken it away.

‘It took away her dignity and everything we had in this world. And let me tell you, no matter what indignities my wife had to suffer, my Pily was perfect.’

–  Rania Ibrahim, Fethia Hassan, Hania Hassan (floor 23)

Mother Rania Ibrahim died alongside her two young children Fethia, a four-year-old known as ‘Fou Fou’ and Hania, three.

The 31-year-old live-streamed the scene of the blaze to friends and family on social media, who watched helplessly as her flat became clogged with smoke.

Her husband, Hassan Awadh Hassan, who was in Egypt at the time, told the inquiry:  ‘I’m not just standing here crying because my wife is gone. My wife and my kids are very lucky. Because the way it’s going, I wish if I go like them. I wait for my day.’

– Choucair family 

Three generations of the Choucair family, who lived in two flats on the 22nd floor, were wiped out by the blaze.

Nadia, 33, her husband Bassem Choukair, 40, their three children Mierna, 13, Fatima, 11, and Zainab, three, died along with their grandmother Sirria, 60.

Hisam Choucair, brother of Nadia and the son of Sirria, told the room: ‘In one night I have lost half of my family. I feel like a stranger now. It has destroyed everything. I feel like part of me has been taken away.’

The Choucair family 

The Choucair family 

The inquiry heard how Sirria was particularly close to her granddaughter Zainab, who she looked after while Nadia worked as a school teacher.

Mr Choucair’s sister Nadia was a ‘fighter’ who knew her mind and would always stand up for her rights like their mother, he said.

Her husband Bassem was an ‘excellent father, kind, loving, considerate,’ who was an ‘incredibly conscientious’ supervisor at Marks and Spencer.

Eleven-year-old Fatima was described as a gifted gymnast, while Mierna, 13, loved sports and drawing, and could not choose whether to become a doctor or lawyer.

– Hesham Rahman 

Hesham Rahman, 57, died in his flat on the top floor of Grenfell Tower.

During a tribute to him, a moving video montage was played, closing with Omar, his infant relative, saying: ‘We would do so many things together. Those things have sadly come to end.’

His nephew Karim Mussilhy read a poem he had written in February 2016: ‘My will, for who will remember me one day.

‘Remember my presence before my departure. To see a smile on your face when I’m gone, a prayer from your heart.

‘No tears or sadness near my grave.

‘If we shared a memory that’s in your heart, always remember it with a smile.

‘For who will remember me one day, remember my presence before my departure.’

– Anthony Disson 

Anthony Disson, known as Tony, was hailed as a doting grandfather who encouraged his children’s passion for boxing.

The 65-year-old was remembered by his family at the inquiry, including son Alfie, who said he had named his baby girl after him.

He said in a video recorded message: ‘If he was here now he’d be over the moon at what we called her.’

– Zainab Deen and Jeremiah Deen (floor 14)

Mother Zainab Deen, 32, died in Grenfell Tower alongside her young son Jeremiah.

She had moved to the UK when she was just 16 and had once dreamed of becoming a pop star.

Her family said  she was a ‘beautiful, smart, warm, caring and a confident and outgoing young woman’ with a ‘lively personality’ and ‘great sense of humour’.

Zainab Deen 

Zainab Deen 

One of the youngest victims of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, Jeremiah Deen, two, was said to be ‘loving, full of life, liked playing football and loved exploring and adventuring’.

He was found at his mother’s side on the 14th floor of the block.

He had attended the Clare Garden nursery until his ‘sweet life was cut short’ in the June 14 blaze, his family said, adding: ‘We cannot dwell on the sadness or keep asking the question ‘why this happened to our family’. Neither will we find a reason why such a handsome and cheerful boy was taken from us at the age of two.

–  Ali Yawar Jafari (floor 11)

The 82-year-old was fondly remembered by his family as an animal-lover who once waited for three days to free a pigeon whose legs were trapped in twine.

The grandfather, who was pulled from Grenfell Tower by firefighters after losing contact with his family, was described as a ‘kind man and husband’ who loved travelling.

His son Hamid Ali Jafari said in a video tribute: ‘I think the happiest moment he had was when my son was born, because he was attached to him a lot.

‘Both of them were connected to each other so sometimes when I see my son I feel like my dad’s soul came in my son.’

– Gary Maunders (floor 19)

Gary Maunders, 57, was remembered at the inquiry as an avid Manchester United fan who swapped the football for the paintbrush when a top-level career failed to materialise.

He was found in his top-floor flat in Grenfell Tower – and buried in the kit of the football team he cherished.

Ms Pumar, the mother of his two youngest children, said: ‘The loss of their father, his love and presence in their life has been devastating for our children. They miss their dad more than words can describe and have been left with a huge part of their lives missing.’

–  Majorie Vital and Ernie Vital  (floor 19)

Mother and son Majorie Vital, 68, and Ernie, 50, lived on the 19th floor of Grenfell Tower.

Their bodies were so badly burnt in the fire they had moulded together, her surviving son, whose name was not given, said in a film shown to the room.

He said: ‘It reminded me, as a child growing up he was constantly in my mother’s arms, and when they were fused together it symbolised to me their level of closeness that they had, that umbilical cord, that my brother still relatively had intact.’

–  Victoria King and Alexandra Atala  (floor 20)

Mother and daughter Victoria King, 71, and Alexandra Atala, 40, were commemorated in a brief statement sent by an aunt who lived in Australia.

Ms King and her sister Penny Pearce had only recently restored contact following years of separation.

Alexandra Atala 

Alexandra Atala 

She said: ‘Eventually, thanks to the Salvation Army family tracing I was able to get in touch with her and my niece, Alexandra, living in Grenfell Tower.  If this had not been the case, no family member would have known they had perished as no-one knew they were still living there.

‘The  time we had back being in touch meant a great deal, I wish it had been much longer. They were, and are, still together and that is what is important. The fire is a tragedy for all of us.’

–  Tuccu-Ahmedin family (floor 19)

Mohamednur Tuccu, 44, his wife Amal Ahmedin, 35, and their three-year-old daughter Amaya Tuccu-Ahmedin, all died. Amna Mahmud Idris, 27, was visiting her cousin Ms Ahmedin at the time of the fire and also died.

Ms Ahmedin’s sister Feruza Afewerki said: ‘Those we grew up with, who shared our fondest memories with, celebrated and mourned, have had their lives stolen from them while the whole of London watched.’

Winta, whose last name was not given, said ‘cheeky’ Amaya was the love of her mother’s life and her sister Ms Ahmedin an incredible mother.

–  Miah-Begum family (floor 17)

Kamru Miah, 79, Rabeya Begum, 64, Mohammed Hamid, 28, Mohammed Hanif, 26 and Husna Begum, 22, were found on the 17th floor.

Their sole surviving immediate family member, Mohammed Hakim, said: ‘I can say with my hand on my heart that I am extremely proud of my family  remaining close to each other in their last moments before passing away.

‘I am even more proud as a brother that my siblings did not leave my parents behind, even though they might have had the chance to escape.’

Mr Hakim’s parents, who were born in Bangladesh, had mobility issues. His father had experienced two strokes and a heart attack.

He described him as dedicated father and husband with a heart of gold who loved action movies.

His mother was ‘beautiful, loving and generous’ and full of love and laughter.

Where the survivors were rehoused 

Where the survivors were rehoused 

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