Grenfell fire victims told to ‘stay put’ for 2 hours

FAMILIES trapped in the Grenfell Tower inferno were told to stay in their homes for almost two hours, it was revealed yesterday.

Fire brigade advice to ‘stay put’ was repeated for 1hr and 53mins, prompting criticism that some of the victims could have survived if they had been told to get out.

At least 80 people are believed to have died in the blaze in the 24-storey tower block last month, although only 34 have been formally identified so far.

Families yesterday spoke of their fears that their relatives died because they listened to advice to stay inside their homes and wait to be rescued. The first emergency calls were received just before 1am on June 14 but the advice was repeated until 2.47am.

Hesham Rahman, 57, last spoke to relatives at 1.30am, saying he had been told to stay inside and put wet towels under the door of his 20th-floor flat.

His nephew Karim Musillhy said: ‘Within 15 minutes, the whole building caught fire. After two hours, it’s too late.’

Six members of the Choucair family are feared to have died in their 22nd-floor flat. Relative Nabil Choucair said he believed the ‘stay put’ policy may have been maintained for too long.

Mr Choucair told the BBC: ‘You take away their only chance of probably escaping.’