Grenfell Tower Fire: Resident Tells Of Escape From 17th Floor

14 June 2017, 06:54 | Updated: 14 June 2017, 09:36

This is the remarkable account of a resident's escape from the 17th floor of the west London tower block which was engulfed in flames.

Misrab told LBC that he lives on the 17th floor of the 24-storey building and he

He said: "I heard the fire trucks, so I was alerted that something was happening.

"There was no fire alarm in the building. We don't have an integrated fire alarm system.

"I went outside my house and I could smell the smoke. I leaned over and looked out my window and I could see the fire blazing up.

"It was about 1.15am, so I woke up my auntie who was sleeping and we started to make our way down. She's about 67.

"I warned some of my neighbours, the closest ones to me, and we went down as fast as we could."

"The fire was inside, but the real issue was when it spread to the cladding outside. That's when I noticed the fire when I looked out the window.

"By the time I got downstairs, the fire had gone all the way up and it had reached our windows on the 17th floor.

"We walked 100 metres and then looked up and the whole side of the building had caught fire. The cladding went up like a matchstick."

The Residents Association at the building had warned last year that the building was a fire risk, even writing on their website: "It is a truly terrifying thought but the Grenfell Action Group firmly believe that only a catastrophic event will expose the ineptitude and incompetence of our landlord."

Misrab confirmed residents were concerned about it, adding: "They were warning them for over a year. One guy was trying to get everyone together to do something before it was too late.

"The poor guy, he was crying because some people didn't get out."