Grief and anger as first phase of Grenfell inquiry draws to a close

(30 May 2018) The first phase of a public enquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire, in which 72 people died, drew to a close in London on Wednesday. Six days of harrowing testimony from bereaved relatives and survivors brought home the horror of one of the city's worst-ever peacetime disasters. The hearing heard evidence from family members who described phone calls from their loved ones as they faced death - and anger at the authorities for telling residents to stay inside their homes as the blaze spread. One of the closing speakers was El Alami Hamdan, who lost four members of his family - his daughter Farah, his son-in-law Omar, and his granddaughters, Malak and baby Leena. He broke down repeatedly as he recalled meeting Farah and Leena just hours before the fire broke out. He described hugging Farah, and playing with Leena in her pram, unaware this would be the last time he would see them. This opening phase of the inquiry has been built around the victims, enabling their loved ones to pay tributes to them through words, videos and photos. In the first hours of the inquiry, chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick heard from the parents of the youngest victim, a stillborn baby. Logan Gomes was stillborn two months premature, after his parents and two sisters managed to escape the blaze. His father Marcio recounted holding his lifeless son in his arms, hoping he would wake up. He spoke as the inquiry was shown a framed photo of the baby's ultrasound. Another bereaved relative, Ahmed Elgwahry, described holding his phone to his ear and listening as his mother and sister died. His sister Mariem, 27, had called him to tell him about the blaze. He raced to the tower block but realised it would be suicide to enter. So he called back and kept the line open, comforting Mariem as she faded away. Although this was the tribute phase of the inquiry, there was also a foretaste of questions the authorities will face when attention turns to the cause of the fire and the way it was handled. Paulos Tekle said his son Isaac, 5, would probably have survived if the fire brigade hadn't initially advised residents to stay inside their homes. As Tekle was leading his family to safety, Isaac slipped away amid the smoke and confusion, and was lost. Amid the many accounts of what happened that night, one of the most harrowing was the final phone call made by Afghan-born Mohamed Amied Neda, known as Saber. He knew he wouldn't escape alive, so he phoned his family to say farewell. The audio recording of that call was played to the hearing. "We are now leaving this world," he said. "Goodbye. I hope I haven't disappointed you. Goodbye to all." Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...