The lives of Grenfell Tower
Portraits of all 72 people who died in Grenfell Tower, based on exclusive, moving testimony from family and friends.
Fathia Ali Ahmed Alsanousi
"She was the pillar of the community in London, sort of like our godmother"
Mark Rice-Oxley
Esra Ibrahim
"She was a very sweet kid, she was really kind"
Mark Rice-Oxley
Fethia Hassan
"In kindergarten, Fethia was like a mother to her classmates"
Ruth Michaelson and Adham Youssef
Hania Hassan
"Our little duck, she liked to draw and play with colours"
Ruth Michaelson and Adham Youssef
Mohamed Amied Neda
"He was the sort of person who would do anything for his family"
Mark Rice-Oxley
Raymond Bernard
"He could be anyone's best friend because of his kindness and understanding”
Guardian staff
Rania Ibrahim
"Rania did everything fast, as if she knew she was leaving life early"
Ruth Michaelson and Adham Youssef
Hesham Rahman
"He was so proud of that flat"
Ruth Michaelson and Adham Youssef
Gloria Trevisan
“She tiptoed into our lives ... as we got to know her, she was a ray of light”
Angela Giuffrida
Marco Gottardi
"That night he was serene; he tried to keep his parents and girlfriend calm"
Angela Giuffrida
Anthony Disson
Dapper sports fan and great-grandfather who was always the life of the party
Mark Rice-Oxley
Mariem Elgwahry
“A young Londoner making impressive strides in her marketing career”
Ruth Michaelson
Yaqub Hashim
Six-year-old said he wanted to be a fireman, “because I want to save the world”
Matthew Taylor
Hashim Kedir
“He was the smartest boy in our school"
Matthew Taylor
Nura Jamal
"She could befriend anyone, no matter who they were"
Matthew Taylor
Eslah Elgwahry
“A great Egyptian cook who took pride in raising her two children”
Ruth Michaelson
Sirria Choucair
“She spent a lot of her time being friendly with people”
Amelia Gentleman
Yahya Hashim
"He took looking after his little brother very seriously"
Matthew Taylor
Nadia Choucair
“The kind of person people feel grateful to have known”
Susanna Rustin
Bassem Choukair
A proud, polite man who was full of love for his wife and three daughters
Susanna Rustin
Fatima Choucair
A hardworking, popular girl who loved football and netball
Susanna Rustin
Mierna Choucair
"An exceptional role model who always gave 100%"
Susanna Rustin
Zainab Choucair
Chatty three-year-old with a curiosity about the world
Susanna Rustin
Firdaws Hashim
"She was absolutely spellbinding. I thought: my God, that girl is going to go far"
Matthew Taylor
Mehdi El Wahabi
"Had he lived to adulthood he would have liked to be a comedian"
Susanna Rustin
Yasin El Wahabi
The first in his family to go to university, he hoped one day to own a business
Susanna Rustin
Logan Gomes
“He will always be here in our hearts”
Guardian staff
Faouzia El Wahabi
"You would always see her laughing and joking with her children"
Susanna Rustin
Abdulaziz El Wahabi
"A man who made the most of everything"
Susanna Rustin
Ligaya Moore
"Even when she was older, she loved to wear makeup and high heels"
Carmela Fonbuena
Nur Huda El Wahabi
"I can imagine her wanting a family of her own – she was very good with children"
Susanna Rustin
Leena Belkadi
Aged six months, Leena was one of the youngest victims of the fire
Guardian staff
Jessica Urbano Ramirez
"She brought joy to everyone who met her"
Guardian staff
Farah Hamdan
"She was a respectful person and she used to respect everyone"
Guardian staff
Omar Belkadi
"He was really honest – the best man ever"
Guardian staff
Alexandra Atala
"She and her mum died at each other's side. Now they can rest together in peace"
Guardian staff
Mary Mendy
“A wonderful sister and the best mother any child could have wished for”
Guardian staff
Malak Belkadi
“She was always smiling”
Guardian staff
Victoria King
"She and Alexandra were devoted to one another"
Guardian staff
Khadija Saye
"Her story needs to be told so that other Khadijas in the world can hear it"
Alexandra Topping
Amal Ahmedin
"She was a very talented cook and absolutely generous"
Kate Lyons
Maria del Pilar Burton
“She was a real character – flamboyant, colourful, passionate and friendly”
Guardian staff
Amaya Tuccu-Ahmedin
"A really sweet and confident little girl, she was going places"
Kate Lyons
Sakineh Afrasiabi
"She helped a lot of refugees, she would shelter them in her flat"
Saeed Kamali Dehghan
Vincent Chiejina
"He was good at looking after vulnerable people"
Mark Rice-Oxley
Isaac Paulos
"He did everything with passion and joy"
Guardian staff
Hamid Kani
"He had lived there for more than 20 years, his flat gave him peace"
Saeed Kamali Dehghan
Berkti Haftom
"She was the life and soul, she used to crack us up"
Susanna Rustin
Biruk Haftom
"He was so savvy, you could almost have an adult conversation with him"
Susanna Rustin
Komru Miah
“He was a deeply religious person, I never saw him missing any prayer”
Saiful Islam in Moulvibazar and Adil Mahmood in Dhaka
Mohammed Hamid
“His fun-loving personality always shone through”
Sandra Laville, Saiful Islam and Adil Mahmood
Rabia Begum
“Rabia was a social person, she always asked about my family”
Saiful Islam and Adil Mahmood
Husna Begum
“She was the epitome of adventure and spirit”
Sandra Laville, Saiful Islam and Adil Mahmood
Mohammed Hanif
“He was brilliantly talented in drawing and design”
Sandra Laville, Saiful Islam and Adil Mahmood
Khadija Khalloufi
"Any neighbour in need, she was there. She was always helping others"
Mark Rice-Oxley
Deborah Lamprell
"She knew everyone; all the singers knew her, all the orchestra knew her"
Harriet Sherwood
Marjorie Vital
“A joyful, kind, sensitive woman who dedicated her life to her children”
Staff
Ernie Vital
“A kind, sensitive man” who was staying with his mother
Guardian staff
Sheila
"We used to talk about politics, world affairs, Shakespeare, poetry, philosophy"
Harriet Sherwood
Joseph Daniels
He had a passion for weightlifting and was well known in local gyms
Aida Edemariam
Steven Power
"He had this twinkle in his eyes. He could just smile at me and I’d crumble"
Amelia Hill
Denis Murphy
"He had three biggest loves: family, friends and Chelsea"
Guardian staff
Zainab Deen
"When she became pregnant, Zainab asked me if I’d be her mother"
Amelia Hill
Mohammed al-Haj Ali
“He was always meeting people, telling us about the culture and how we needed to integrate”
Alexandra Topping
Jeremiah Deen
"He wouldn’t leave her for one minute and she wouldn’t leave him"
Amelia Hill
Abdeslam Sebbar
Part of west London’s sizeable Moroccan community
Guardian staff
Ali Yawar Jafari
"He always told us to enjoy life because it was short, to travel the world"
Amelia Hill
Gary Maunders
"You couldn’t be sad around him. If you were he’d make you laugh"
Mark Rice-Oxley
Abufras Ibrahim
"He was very supportive to his mum, always caring about her"
Mark Rice-Oxley
Mohamednur “Mo” Tuccu
"He had a way of making you feel like an old friend – welcome and at ease"
Kate Lyons
Fatemeh Afrasiabi
“My mother was a very artistic woman. She could even make earnings from her art”
Saeed Kamali Dehghan
Amna Mahmud Idris
“She took an active role in the upbringing of her niece”
Guardian staff
All lives of Grenfell
The portraits of the Grenfell victims were elaborated over a period of eight months, primarily through interviews with friends and relatives who knew them well.
Conscious of the anger of the Grenfell community at press coverage and the sensitivity of writing about people caught up in such a tragedy, we made careful approaches to the families of those involved. Some understandably did not wish to speak. In those cases, we have acknowledged the reluctance and kept our portraits short and factual.
In most cases, families did want to speak fondly about their loved ones. These life stories are the result of those conversations.
Design and production by Frank Hulley-Jones and Niko Kommenda
Editor: Mark Rice-Oxley
Assistant Editors: Andrew Halley and Paul Torpey
Editor: Mark Rice-Oxley
Assistant Editors: Andrew Halley and Paul Torpey
