Advice to ‘stay put’ cost son his life, says Grenfell father

A GRIEVING father has criticised the fire brigade’s advice for Grenfell Tower residents to ‘stay put’ as the blaze raged, saying it cost the life of his fiveyear-old son Isaac.

Paulos Tekle said yesterday he blamed himself for Isaac’s death because he followed official advice to stay in their 18th floor flat and wait for rescue.

He told how neighbours urged the family to flee but after calling 999 repeatedly, he was told to ‘stay put’ for almost two hours. He was then told abruptly to get his family out immediately. But by then the fire had spread, the building’s only stairwell was filled with smoke and Isaac became separated in the chaos as the family fled.

Mr Tekle, his wife Genet Shawo, and their three-year-old son survived, but Isaac’s remains were found on the 13th floor. He was one of the youngest victims of the blaze, which killed 72 people last June.

His father choked back tears as he told the sixth day of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry: ‘I will never forget Isaac’s big beautiful eyes, his calm-looking wait for

‘I will never forget his big, beautiful eyes’

his dad to save them all. But I didn’t, because I listened to the authorities, and that makes me angry.

‘I have to live with the guilt of not protecting my son every day. I am broken, and the only thing that can make me whole is to fight for the truth and justice in Isaac’s name.’

Several families have criticised the advice and the decision to put flammable cladding panels on the tower block, saying their relatives were effectively murdered.

Ahmed Elgwahry, who was on the phone to his mother Eslah, 64, and sister Mariem, 27, as they died in the tower, said: ‘My mum and my sister were murdered and cremated on June 14. They were poisoned by smoke, they were burned, they were cremated. I had to listen to them... die. If that’s not torture, I’m not sure what is.’

Isaac’s father gave harrowing evidence of the family being woken by panic outside. He said: ‘I called the fire brigade. I was told to wait and... they would come and get us. I called friends in the building and woke them up. They left – and they’re alive today.’

The hearing continues.