Grenfell Tower fire: Woman trapped in burning flat records 'goodbye' Snapchat message for loved ones
'She is saying goodbye to everyone. She is praying in Arabic. You can’t see anything because it’s all smoke,' says friend of resident
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A mother-of-two sent a distressing goodbye message to her friends and family as she was trapped in a burning west London tower block.
As hundreds of firefighters fought to rescue residents from the fire-ravaged 24-storey, Grenfell Tower, the woman sent a Snapchat video.
The tenant, who The Independent has chosen not to identify, cried “Forgive me everyone, goodbye” while filming harrowing scenes on the 23rd floor of the building.
“I just saw her Snapchat saying the whole building is burning,” her friend, who just identified herself as Yaz, tearfully told ITV’s Good Morning Britain.
“She is saying goodbye to everyone. She is praying in Arabic. You can’t see anything because it’s all smoke.”
Struggling to speak and covering her mouth, the friend added: “I met the paramedic first thing and he said there is no chance that they might have survived but I’m just hoping to hear something.”
She said the 30-year-old had her two small children with her when the fire erupted.
Many residents are thought to be trapped in their homes after the horrific blaze broke out in Latimer Road, near Notting Hill, just before 1am and massive plumes of smoke dominated London's skyline.
At least six people have died and around 75 people are being treated in six hospitals across the capital. The Metropolitan Police said they expect the number of fatalities to increase as further details of the “unprecedented” fire emerge.
Dany Cotton, the London Fire Brigade commissioner, said: “This is an unprecedented incident. In my 29 years of being a firefighter, I have never ever seen anything of this scale.”
She added: “At this time I am very sad to confirm that there have been a number of fatalities. I cannot confirm the number at this time due to the size and complexity of this building, and it would clearly be wrong for me to speculate further.”
Local churches, mosques and temples have opened their doors to help those displaced by the fire, with west London residents also offering up their homes and supplies to those affected.
The Mayor of London has advised friends and family to call an emergency hotline set up by the Metropolitan Police on 0800 096 1233.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments