I survived in Grenfell inferno for five hours
ONE of the last people rescued from Grenfell has told the inquiry on the disaster of how he tried to stay calm for five hours as flames engulfed the tower.
Antonio Roncolato, 58, was woken at 1.40am by a call from son Christopher, who told him from outside the block was ablaze.
The Italian waiter could not leave his 10th-floor flat due to thick black smoke in the landing that “burned” his eyes. He set up a draught by opening doors and windows, put wet towels under window ledge gaps and ate some porridge for energy. Antonio, the first survivor to give evidence, said: “I kept thinking if I remained calm and acted rationally I would come out alive. “I knew one mistake could be fatal.” He said he heard a knock at 6am and firefighters led him out, wrapped in wet towels and wearing swimming goggles. The inquiry into the inferno on June 14, 2017, which claimed 72 lives, continues.