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| Lakanal House fire: Rafael Cervi's 'entire family' died | Lakanal House fire: Rafael Cervi's 'entire family' died |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A man whose entire family died in a tower block fire in south-east London has told an inquest "everything that I dreamed of was over in three hours". | A man whose entire family died in a tower block fire in south-east London has told an inquest "everything that I dreamed of was over in three hours". |
| Rafael Cervi was giving evidence at the "super inquest" into the deaths of six people who were killed in the blaze at Lakanal House, Camberwell in July 2009. | Rafael Cervi was giving evidence at the "super inquest" into the deaths of six people who were killed in the blaze at Lakanal House, Camberwell in July 2009. |
| His wife Dayana Francisquini, 26, his step-daughter Thais, six, and his son Felipe, three, all died. | His wife Dayana Francisquini, 26, his step-daughter Thais, six, and his son Felipe, three, all died. |
| Jurors have heard that faulty electrical equipment started the blaze. | Jurors have heard that faulty electrical equipment started the blaze. |
| He told the inquest at Lambeth Town Hall that he was working near London Bridge on the day of the fire and found out about the blaze when his wife rang him just before 16.30 BST. | He told the inquest at Lambeth Town Hall that he was working near London Bridge on the day of the fire and found out about the blaze when his wife rang him just before 16.30 BST. |
| He called her 10 times, and alerted her father who was closer to Camberwell at the time. | He called her 10 times, and alerted her father who was closer to Camberwell at the time. |
| Mr Cervi said he tried to reassure his wife over the phone and dialled 999, but said he felt "useless" that he could not help more. | Mr Cervi said he tried to reassure his wife over the phone and dialled 999, but said he felt "useless" that he could not help more. |
| "I lost my entire family, my wife and a couple of kids that I had," he said. | "I lost my entire family, my wife and a couple of kids that I had," he said. |
| "Everything that I built, everything that I dreamed of was over in three hours." | "Everything that I built, everything that I dreamed of was over in three hours." |
| 'Very traumatised' | |
| Mr Cervi said he watched the fire with his father-in-law Fernando Francisquini and initially reassured his wife that the flames did not look as if they were spreading to their flat. | |
| However, as things got worse he told a fireman that she said their son Felipe "was not OK", and that he thought he was dying. | |
| Later, he struggled to find out what had happened to his family. | |
| He told the jury: "I was expecting my daughter to be alive, at least one of them. But I couldn't find them." | |
| The fire started on the ninth floor of the 14-storey block, which housed 98 maisonettes. | |
| Catherine Hickman, 31, Helen Udoaka, 34 and her three-week-old daughter Michelle also died in the fire. | |
| Mrs Udoaka's husband Mbet told the hearing his wife was on maternity leave with Michelle when they died. | |
| He told the inquest: "I have been very traumatised by the loss of both Helen and Michelle. We planned to have two kids as soon as possible. We might have had at least two of them by now. | |
| "My life will never be the same again, I can never get over these deaths, over the death of my beautiful Helen and my lovely Michelle. I'm really hoping that one day I will get to see them again." | |
| The inquest continues. | The inquest continues. |