- Number missing and therefore assumed dead rises to 58; though this may rise
- Theresa May said support for those “who needed help or basic information in the initial hours” after the Grenfell Tower disaster “was not good enough”
- The family of Syrian refugee, first to be confirmed killed, have paid tribute to him
At least fifty-eight people are missing and presumed dead in the Grenfell Tower disaster, the Metropolitan Police has confirmed.
This figure includes the 30 people already assumed to have lost their lives in the west London tragedy, though the number of those killed may rise still further.
Scotland Yard said 16 people have been recovered to the mortuary so far.
“Sadly at this time there are 58 people who we have been told were in Grenfell Tower on the night that are missing and therefore sadly I have to assume they are dead,” Commander Stuart Cundy told reporters in west London on Saturday.
“The fire has been truly horrific, and for me this is just a human tragedy,” Commander Cundy added.
“Yesterday afternoon, following expert advice... we had to pause that search and recovery. I am pleased to say that as of this afternoon, we are now back in Grenfell Tower.
“We’ve worked tirelessly to deal with the huge number of calls to our casualty bureau. Over 6,000 calls have been received into centres up and down the United Kingdom.
“We’ve worked tirelessly to determine the number of people who were in Grenfell Tower on the night and that at this point in time we are unable to say whether they are safe or well.”
Commander Cundy said 52 families were being supported by liaison officers.
The number 58 may change, he added. “There may be other people who were in there on the night, that others were not aware,” he said.
It comes as the family of Syrian refugee Mohammad Alhajali, 23, who is confirmed to have died, said he was a “very amazing and kind person”.
He “came to the UK because he had ambitions and aims for his life and for his family,” they added.
And addressing criticism of the response to the disaster, Prime Minister Theresa May said support for families “who needed help or basic information in the initial hours” after the event “was not good enough”.
Grenfell Tower: The Missing
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The teenager, who lived with her mother on the eight floor, said: “We cannot find him, we have been going around hospitals.”
A Facebook Live video was posted on her account that revealed her fearfully venturing into the hallway and urging other residents to come into her apartment for safety. She can be heard murmuring frantic prayers throughout and is heard to say (in Arabic): “There’s fire and smoke from beneath and above. See all the smoke above us.”
Ibrham, whose position on her Facebook page is listed as executive director at a Saudi Arabian charity, can be heard uttering reassurances to her family but also asking how they are supposed to get out of the building.