The tragic stories behind the night Grenfell Tower fire claimed 72 victims

The Grenfell disaster claimed the lives of 72 people. These are their stories.

The long-awaited report into the deadly fire claimed the lives of 72 people at Grenfell Tower has been published seven years after the blaze.

Inquiry chair, Sir Martin Moore-Bick, told bereaved and survivors on Wednesday the “simple truth” is that all the deaths were avoidable and that those who lived in the tower were “badly failed” by authorities.

Each of the 72 victims – ranging in age from an unborn baby to an 84-year-old woman – was somebody’s father, mother, brother, sister, relative, friend or neighbour. These are their stories from that night.

(PA Wire)

A promise of safety - Rania Ibrahim (floor 23)

Mother of two Rania Ibrahim, 31, died along with her daughters Fethia and Hania Hassan.

Their remains were found together in the bathroom. Three neighbours, Gary Maunders, Fathia Ahmed and Isra Ibrahim, also sheltered in their flat and died

In a video from Facebook, Rania said, “The whole building is burning and we’re on the top floor.” In a call to the fire brigade from the flat at 2.42am, the call operator said: “The safest place for you at the moment is in the flat” – but this was shortly after fire commanders had lifted the stay put strategy and urged survivors to leave.

Five-year-old found five levels below where he lived - Isaac Paulos

One victim, five-year-old Isaac Paulos, was discovered five levels below the flat where he lived with his family after he became separated from them during the fire.

His father Paulos Tekle took his youngest son Lucas and handed Isaac to another resident who was sheltering with his family, and the residents made the descent through thick smoke.

When the party emerged, Isaac was the only member missing, and the other resident said he had lost him in the chaos. Isaac died from smoke inhalation.

Mr Paulos said he had attempted to make final calls to relatives and was planning to jump from their balcony that night. Their lawyer Imran Khan, speaking at the enquiry in 2002, said: “Paulos was contemplating him and his wife sacrificing their lives for the lives of their children.”

His father said: “My son was beautiful, a little boy with so much potential. I will never forget Isaac’s big, beautiful eyes, his calm look.”

Five-year-old Isaac Paulos was discovered five levels below the flat where he lived with his family (PA)

The poet on the top floor - Hesham Rahman

Mr Rahman’s nephew Karim Mussilhy said his uncle had trouble walking and often used a walking stick, so would have struggled to make it down the stairs from the top floor.

He said: “In the early hours of 14 June I was woken up by my wife screaming, ‘Grenfell Tower is on fire, call Uncle Hesham.’

“My uncle’s phone kept ringing with no answer. My grandmother heard from him last at around 3am.”

Mr Mussilhy added: “I remember when my uncle first got his flat in the top floor of Grenfell Tower sometime in 2013 and how happy he was. I remember him being excited about how he was going to decorate and put together his new home.

“He liked the fact he lived on the top floor, he said he was “closer to God” and that also made him happy. My uncle used to express himself through poetry on social media and he wrote some beautiful poems.”

Reading from one, he quoted: “Remember my presence before my departure. To see a smile on your face when I’m gone, a prayer from your heart.”

‘It’s not fair. I don’t want to die’ - Gloria Trevisan and Marco Gottardi

Victim Gloria Trevisan, who lived on the 23rd floor with her boyfriend Marco Gottardi, 27, spent her final moments on the phone to her mother.

She told her: “I had my whole life ahead of me. It’s not fair. I don’t want to die.”

The pair had moved to London from Venice around for months before the fire to look for jobs after graduating from the University of Padua.

Gloria Trevisan and Marco Gottardi (PA)

‘Flamboyant, colourful, passionate’ - Maria del Pilar Burton

Nicholas Burton, husband of the 74-year-old, known as Pily, told how he lost his wife in the chaos as they were rescued by firefighters at around 3.30am.

He had been unable to carry his wife down 38 flights of stairs because she struggled walk because of her long-term health conditions. Like so many of the victims, they had listened to advice to stay in the flat until help arrived.

Pily spent seven months in hospital with severe burns. She is considered the 72nd victim of the fire, despite dying in January 2018, after experiencing a stroke.

Mr Burton said: “She was a unique, beautiful, exceptional person until this tragedy had taken it away.”

He added: “Pily was well known in our community, she was what people call a real character. A character in the best sense of the word - she was flamboyant, colourful, passionate and friendly.

“Everyone on Portobello knew her and when we went to the market on the weekend she would stop and chat all the way along.”