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| London fire: Grenfall Tower witnesses recall harrowing night | London fire: Grenfall Tower witnesses recall harrowing night |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| People have told harrowing tales of hearing the screams of those trapped in Grenfall Tower as the blaze ripped through the building. | People have told harrowing tales of hearing the screams of those trapped in Grenfall Tower as the blaze ripped through the building. |
| 'I have seen people jump' | 'I have seen people jump' |
| Eyewitness Daniel told BBC London: "They were trapped. They couldn't come downstairs, especially from the top floor … people have been burned. | Eyewitness Daniel told BBC London: "They were trapped. They couldn't come downstairs, especially from the top floor … people have been burned. |
| "I have seen it with my own eyes. And I have seen people jump." | "I have seen it with my own eyes. And I have seen people jump." |
| "Someone started banging on my door saying there's a fire and to get out," said Zoe, who lives on the fourth floor of the block. | "Someone started banging on my door saying there's a fire and to get out," said Zoe, who lives on the fourth floor of the block. |
| "When I got on the landing it was thick with smoke but the smoke alarms weren't going off, which is quite scary. | "When I got on the landing it was thick with smoke but the smoke alarms weren't going off, which is quite scary. |
| "Then I just ran down the stairs. You could see the fire is in one of the flats. | "Then I just ran down the stairs. You could see the fire is in one of the flats. |
| "They were saying apparently the fire was caused by a fridge freezer, don't know how true that it is but the way the fire spread from the fourth floor all the way up was just scary. | "They were saying apparently the fire was caused by a fridge freezer, don't know how true that it is but the way the fire spread from the fourth floor all the way up was just scary. |
| "When we got downstairs we were seeing people in the building flashing their kitchen lights, bedroom lights trying to get everyone's attention." | "When we got downstairs we were seeing people in the building flashing their kitchen lights, bedroom lights trying to get everyone's attention." |
| 'Absolute nightmare' | 'Absolute nightmare' |
| "I woke up about half past one this morning to look across the road and see the big Grenfell Tower, in a towering inferno, just fire coming out of every window... smashing and exploding," said Paul Littlejohn, who lives opposite the tower. | "I woke up about half past one this morning to look across the road and see the big Grenfell Tower, in a towering inferno, just fire coming out of every window... smashing and exploding," said Paul Littlejohn, who lives opposite the tower. |
| "Things falling out, people screaming, people jumping out on fire, chucking ropes down what they'd made out of bed sheets, to try and climb out. | "Things falling out, people screaming, people jumping out on fire, chucking ropes down what they'd made out of bed sheets, to try and climb out. |
| "Just a complete nightmare, absolute nightmare." | "Just a complete nightmare, absolute nightmare." |
| 'Look of death' | |
| Samira Lamrani said she saw a member of the public catch a baby thrown from the ninth or tenth floor. | |
| "People were starting to appear at the windows, frantically banging and screaming. | |
| "The windows were slightly ajar, a woman was gesturing that she was about to throw her baby and if somebody could catch [it]. | |
| "Somebody did, a gentleman ran forward and managed to grab the baby." | |
| Ms Lamrani described how she could see people "from all angles" banging on the glass for help. | |
| "Members of the public were reassuring them, telling them we've done what we can and that we've phoned 999, but obviously the look on their face was death. | |
| "My daughter's friend said she observed an adult who made some sort of homemade parachute and tried to lower himself out of the window. | |
| "The more I looked up, floor upon floor. Endless numbers of people. Mainly the kids, because obviously their voices, with their high pitched voices - that will remain with me for a long time." | |
| 'Corridors full of smoke' | 'Corridors full of smoke' |
| Jody Martin said he got to the scene just as the first fire engine was arriving. | Jody Martin said he got to the scene just as the first fire engine was arriving. |
| "I watched one person falling out, I watched another woman holding her baby out the window... hearing screams," he said. | "I watched one person falling out, I watched another woman holding her baby out the window... hearing screams," he said. |
| "I was yelling everyone to get down and they were saying 'We can't leave our apartments, the smoke is too bad on the corridors'." | "I was yelling everyone to get down and they were saying 'We can't leave our apartments, the smoke is too bad on the corridors'." |
| "I was screaming at people in the building that were looking out of the windows, trying to wake people up, telling them: 'Get out of the building!' | "I was screaming at people in the building that were looking out of the windows, trying to wake people up, telling them: 'Get out of the building!' |
| "And they were screaming back at me: 'We can't! The corridors are full of smoke!' | "And they were screaming back at me: 'We can't! The corridors are full of smoke!' |
| 'Save my children' | 'Save my children' |
| Neighbour Tamara said when she got there the whole right side of the building was on fire. | Neighbour Tamara said when she got there the whole right side of the building was on fire. |
| "The whole thing was engulfed in flames. We could hear people screaming 'help me' so me and my brother ran over to the estate and there were people just throwing their kids out saying 'save my children'," she said. | "The whole thing was engulfed in flames. We could hear people screaming 'help me' so me and my brother ran over to the estate and there were people just throwing their kids out saying 'save my children'," she said. |
| "The fire crew, ambulance and police couldn't do anything, they couldn't get in, and they were just telling them to stay where they are, and we'll come and get you. | "The fire crew, ambulance and police couldn't do anything, they couldn't get in, and they were just telling them to stay where they are, and we'll come and get you. |
| "But things quickly escalated beyond measure and they couldn't go back in and get them. | "But things quickly escalated beyond measure and they couldn't go back in and get them. |
| "Within another 15 minutes the whole thing was up in flames and there were still people at their windows shouting 'help me'. | "Within another 15 minutes the whole thing was up in flames and there were still people at their windows shouting 'help me'. |
| "You could see the fire going into their houses and engulfing the last room that they were in." | "You could see the fire going into their houses and engulfing the last room that they were in." |
| 'The screaming was the worst' | 'The screaming was the worst' |
| Ann Waters lives in a house at the foot of the tower and was forced to flee her home when burning debris began raining down. | Ann Waters lives in a house at the foot of the tower and was forced to flee her home when burning debris began raining down. |
| The 57-year-old said she was in bed when she smelled smoke and heard a fire engine. | The 57-year-old said she was in bed when she smelled smoke and heard a fire engine. |
| "It was the screaming that was the worst and I could hear that from the ground, all I could hear was 'help, help, help'," she said. | "It was the screaming that was the worst and I could hear that from the ground, all I could hear was 'help, help, help'," she said. |
| "I was just speechless, the guy next door was screaming at people to get out of the building. | "I was just speechless, the guy next door was screaming at people to get out of the building. |
| "When I went out the front I could see all the debris coming down and I could see [it] coming down and a police officer told me to... leave and go to the end of the road. | "When I went out the front I could see all the debris coming down and I could see [it] coming down and a police officer told me to... leave and go to the end of the road. |
| "It was like something out of a nightmare." | "It was like something out of a nightmare." |