Grenfell Tower fire: 39 victims identified amid warning 'many more to come'

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Three members of the same family were among the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire and “many more” to come, a coroner has said.

The bodies of Bassem Choukair, 40, Mierna Choukair, 13, and Nadia Choukair, 33, were all recovered from the 22nd floor of the tower.

Gary Maunders, 57, was also recovered from the 23rd floor.

A total of 39 victims have been identified and an inquest into their deaths was opened at Westminster Coroners’ Court.

However, Dr Fiona Wilcox suspended the hearings while a public inquiry and criminal investigation are carried out.

She told the short hearing that there are "of course still many more identifications" of those who died in the inferno during the early hours of 14 June yet to take place.

At least 80 people are thought to have died in the devastating fire at the 24-storey block last month.

The provisional cause of death for all four victims was given as "consistent with the effects of fire", with all of them identified through their dental records.

The coroner opened and adjourned all four of the inquests and said in each case: "I formally open and immediately adjourned the inquest ... to allow the public inquiry and criminal investigations and prosecutions to take place."

She also offered her "sincere condolences" to all of those touched by the deaths.

The news comes as a fresh protest took place outside Kensington Town Hall ahead of the council’s first full meeting since the disaster last month.

Hundreds of protesters, including masked demonstrators, blocked the street outside the building while chants of “murderers” and “no justice, no peace” could be heard, London's Evening Standard reported.

The meeting will see new council leader Elizabeth Campbell being formally elected after her predecessor, Nicholas Paget-Brown, was forced to resign after it was revealed the council had opted to use cheaper, more flammable, cladding on the tower.