Thousands sign petition asking Home Office to let ‘amazing and kind’ Grenfell Tower victim’s family come to the UK from Syria for his funeral
MORE than 80,000 people have signed a petition to allow the grieving family of a Grenfell victim from Syria to come to the UK.
Mohammed al-Haj Ali, 23, was trapped inside his flat for two hours after being separated from brother Omar during the inferno, telling him on the phone: "I’m dying, I cannot breathe."
Omar, 25, escaped and was taken to hospital and stayed in touch with Mohammed, who was still trapped inside the flat by mobile phone.
He heard his brother's last words: "The smoke is getting in, the smoke is getting in, we are going to die, we are going to die."
Before dying, Ali asked his friends to tell his family in Damascus that he loved them.
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He fled wartorn Syria five years ago and was forced to limit communication to ensure their safety amid dicator Bashar al-Assad's crackdown against the opposition.
His family today paid tribute and released a statement which read: "Mohammad was a very amazing and kind person. He gave love to everyone.
"He came to the UK because he had ambitions and aims for his life and for his family. Our whole family will miss Mohammad dearly and he will never be forgotten."
was set up appealing for the Home Office to grant special permission for his parents to travel to the UK to attend Mohammed's funeral and visit Omar in hospital.
It says: "We need to get their voices heard to the Home Office so that we can persuade an acceptance of the visa".
The Home Office later said it has assisted Mr Alhajali's family in "making arrangements for their travel to the UK in these terribly sad circumstances".
Speaking to the BBC, heartbroken Mohammed said: “I saw the fire in the flat from outside. I was watching the flat – it was burning – and my brother was inside.
“We came from Syria to be safe here, and now we’re dying.”
Mohammed then asked him to be put through to his parents and sent a WhatsApp audio message simply stating: "Goodbye. I love you."
The two had come to Britain with their younger brother Hashem, 20, in 2014 and were granted asylum.
Mohammed, a civil engineering student who wanted to help rebuild his homeland one day, was the first victim named in the tragic blaze.
The Syria Solidarity Campaign group said: "Mohammed undertook a dangerous journey to flee war and death in Syria, only to meet it here in the UK, in his own home.
"Mohammed came to this country for safety and the UK failed to protect him."
Alhajali, who lived on the 14th floor, was in his flat with his brother Omar when the fire broke out.
We need to get their voices heard to the Home Office so that we can persuade an acceptance of the visa
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At least 58 people are presumed dead with 30 confirmed victims after the fire ravaged the West London tower block on Wednesday morning, but officials fear the death toll could go past 100.
Harrowing stories have emerged of families separated as they fled the horror blaze and terrified residents saying their goodbyes over the phone as flames engulfed the building.
Gloria Trevisan and Marco Gottardi's heartbreaking phone calls home to their families in Italy as flames engulfed their 23rd floor Grenfell Tower flat have been revealed.
The couple, both 27, spent their final moments telling their far-away parents they loved them with Gloria telling her mum: "Thank you for what you have done for me."
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What we know so far
- At least 30 people have been confirmed dead but the death toll is feared to be more than 100 - with at least 28 further victims presumed dead
- The first victims have been named as Syrian refugee Mohammed Al Haj Ali, 23, and 24-year-old Khadija SayeThe Prime Minister has promised a full public inquiry into the disaster and police have launched a criminal investigation
- The blaze on Wednesday night is thought to have been sparked by a faulty fridge but police don't believe the fire was started deliberately
- Experts warned the fire was spread by cladding panels which are fitted to countless buildings across Britain
- Residents were seen jumping from upper floors in scenes reminiscent of September 11 and horrified witnesses told of babies being thrown from windows by desperate mothers
- It was revealed the block had only recently undergone a £10million refurb and still had no sprinkler system installed - but designers insisted the refurbishment work complied with building regulations
- Residents raised safety concerns four years ago, but were ignored
- Celebrities and ordinary Londoners have united to provide food, clothes, money and shelter for survivors
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