Terror of dad who found fire in kitchen

THIS is the kitchen of the fourth-floor flat where the inferno started.

Behailu Kebede was woken by a fire alarm at about 12.55am and found smoke around the fridge-freezer.

The inquiry yesterday heard the Ethiopian-born taxi driver’s frantic 999 call begging firefighters to hurry.

He said: “Fire in flat 16, Grenfell Tower...the fridge, flat 16, Grenfell Tower.”

The call handler responded: “A fire, where?”

Mr Kebede went on: “Flat 16 Grenfell Tower. In the fridge. Come quick please.”

The call handler said a fire engine was on is on its way.

Father-of-one Mr Kebede, 45, one of three people in the flat, then said: “Quick, quick, quick. It’s burning.”

Fleeing

In a witness statement, Mr Kebede said he woke his flatmates and neighbours before fleeing and watching in horror as flames tore through the building.

Neighbour Maryam Adam, 41, who was pregnant and has now given birth, told how Mr Kebede banged on her front door. She said: “He said there was a fire in his flat.

“It was exactly 12.50am because I was sleeping and it woke me up.

“If he had not knocked we would be dead. The fire was small in the kitchen. I could see it because the flat door was open.

“He said, ‘You must go, there is a fire in my flat. There is a fire in my flat, please go out’.

“There was no alarm. We ran out and saw that the fire was already spreading.”

Behailu was quizzed by police and was said to be devastated by the fire. A friend said: “He is haunted by what happened. He’s just thankful he managed to alert his neighbours.”