Grenfell mum ‘wanted to jump from top floor of tower rather than be burnt alive’

A son who carried his mother down to safety from the top floor of Grenfell Tower has described hearing her say she was “ready to jump rather than go through the pain of being burnt alive”.

Farhad Neda lived on the 23rd floor with his mother Flora and father Mohamed, known as Saber, who died in the blaze.

He had walked through the front door of his home at the west London block just two minutes before the fire started on 14 June last year.

The Grenfell inquiry heard on Thursday that the family first became aware that something was amiss when the smoke extractor in their hallway began whirring loudly, prompting them to ring the Tenant Management Organisation (TMO).

Mr Neda told a call operator the fan had gone off, the lift was not working and he could smell “electrical burning”.

An audio recording of the phone call was played to a hearing at Holborn Bars on Thursday, in which the operator said several times that the fire brigade was in attendance, but gave no further information.

The family were joined in their flat by four others, mother and daughter Mariem and Eslah Elgwahry and sisters Fatemah and Sakina Afrasiabi.

Soon, flames had climbed all the way to the property at the top of the tower – first breaking into a bedroom before spreading.

He told the inquiry in a statement: “I saw my mum standing on the window sill saying she was ready to jump rather than go through the pain of being burnt alive,” Mr Neda’s statement said.

“She said that she did not want to die.”

They decided to try and get out despite his mother’s mobility issues and he described tripping over the bodies of residents who had collapsed in their bids to escape.

“The sounds from the people who were dying will never leave me,” his account continued.

“I could not do anything to help them as I had to carry mum and try and stay alive.”

He was forced to pause to regain his breath in a pocket of cleaner air halfway down the tower, before the pair encountered two firefighters who helped them reach the lobby.

Mr Neda said the journey down the staircase was a “nightmare”, but the thought of his fiancee and his mother gave him strength to carry on.

“We both thought that we were going to die, for sure. It is a miracle that we survived,” he said.

“We are the only people to have survived from those who were trapped on the 23rd floor of Grenfell Tower.

“We had to pass through every floor to reach safety.”

He did not learn of his father’s death for several days, having been placed in a coma after his rescue.

Mohamed Neda’s body was found outside the tower block, and he died as a result of multiple injuries consistent with a fall.

His father had remained on the top floor trying to help the four women who had come to the family for help to escape.

Mr Neda described his father as a “hero” for forsaking his own safety to stay behind with the women.

“The last vision I have of him was my father getting the ladies and himself ready to face into that thick, black smoke. He was helping them fix the towels around their faces,” said Mr Neda.

“That was the last time I saw my dad alive.

“It is the last time my eyes set eyes on my best friend in the world.”

A total of 71 people died in the blaze, with a 72nd victim dying months later in hospital.

The public inquiry is currently in its first phase and is hearing from survivors, the bereaved and residents.

(c) Sky News 2018: Grenfell mum ‘wanted to jump from top floor of tower rather than be burnt alive’