Witness Name: Loffrahman Habibrahman AbdulrahmanStatement No: 1

Dated: 21 May 2018

THE GRENFELL TOWER INQUIRY

Witness Statement ofLotfrahman Habibrahman Abdulrahman

I, Lotfrahman Habibrahman Abdulrahman (better known as Massi Abdulrahman) [DOB:

TW5 will say as follows:-

INTRODUCTION

1. I am a Core Participant in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and I am the nephew of Saber Neda,

who died on the 23rd Floor of Grenfell Tower on the morning of 14 June 2017.

2. On the evening before the fire at Grenfell, we gathered as a family and I

had to leave at around 10 o'clock, as I had to start my nightshift in the hotel where I work in

Paddington.

3. At approximately 1 o'clock in the morning whilst on my nightshift at the hotel in

Paddington, I received a call from my father. He told me that he had received a call from

Farhad, my cousin, saying that there was a fire in the tower of Grenfell. He asked me to go

to Grenfell immediately to see how dangerous the situation was.

4. I would estimate that I got there at approximately 01:05am — 01:10am, as it is only around

the corner from where I work and when I arrived there were already some fire fighters and

policemen at the sight. There were also relatives of people from the flats standing watching.

5. On my way to the tower from Paddington, you could see the clouds of smoke and fire from

a distance.

6. I would estimate that at the time that I arrived, the fire had reached possibly the 8th floor and

I called my parents to tell them what had happened. I did not wish to frighten my mother, so

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I told her that it was nothing severe. However when she passed the phone to my father, I

told him the truth and told him to get here as soon as possible.

7. During this period of time, I kept my line available to Saber and Farhad who called me a

couple of times asking about the situation and asking me what the situation was on the

outside. They were asking why there wasn't any help coming up to the top floor. They said

that when they had called the fire brigade earlier, they were told to stay inside the apartment.

They therefore did as they were told.

8. I would estimate that I first asked the police what my family should do around 1:10am.

They told me that according to the fire brigade the best thing they could do was to move

away from the doors and to try and cover the gaps on the door with wet towels. I passed this

message on to my family.

9. The position did not change during the night even though the fire was spreading. The police

seemed to me that they were more busy with keeping spectators at a distance from the tower

than anything else.

10. On or around 2:00am the fire had become even more strong and i again asked the firemen

what my family should do. This time I asked different personal. I also told them a lie that

there were pregnant and disabled people trapped to try and make them see how serious it

was. They still told me the same response that they should stay inside and for the fire

fighters to get to them. It had now been an hour since I had arrived and I begged them to let

me go in and help them but of course they did not allow me.

11. By 2:30am the fire had now reached the top floor where my family were and my family

informed me that the fire was now inside the flat. I told the police and firemen of this and I

do believe that it was clear to them that if they stayed put then they would die. One of them

asked if it was possible for them to go higher. I replied by saying they were on the top floor.

They asked if it was possible for them to go onto the roof. Of course this was not possible.

12. At 02:37am I received the last phone call from my uncle Saber. He was again asking me

what was going on. He was asking why there was nobody there to help them. I could also

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hear two terrified female voices begging for help in the background. He told me that I

should be honest with him and he asked the following question: "Is there anybody going to

help us within a minute, as the fire has already reached inside of the apartment?" During

that question I was standing beside a policeman and fire fighter. I asked them the same

question, but neither one could answer me. Saber was still on the phone and when it was

clear they had no solution to the problem, he then said, "Massi, if they (and he meant the

fire brigade and policemen) would not come to rescue me and the people in the flat in the

next minute, then you should not be surprised if we are dead". After this sentence Saber put

down the phone and that was the last that I heard from him.

13. I called him continuously after this time and his phone just kept ringing.

14. Around 02:40am I received a call from Farhad who informed me that he and his mother had

made it out of the tower alive, but they had lost Saber on the way.

15. Farhad told me where he was and he was being treated and I made my way over to him

immediately. On my way I was hoping that Saber would be there.

16. When I arrived at their side, I was relieved to see that they were both alive. The next

objective was to find Saber and I therefore looked everywhere around Grenfell Tower and

all the places that were treating the injured, but I could not find him. I went to all the

ambulances and to the police and to the fire fighters, but nobody had seen him.

17. I brought my parents over to the treatment area where Farhad and Flora were, in order that

they could support each other. I continued my search for Saber.

18. Up to 05:00am in the morning I was still able to call Saber's phone, but at 05:00am the calls

stopped and started going straight through to his voicemail.

19. On or around this time, I realised that my aunt and my cousin were in the safe hands of

paramedics and that they were being taken to hospital. I therefore could not find Saber and I

returned to my job, which was due to finish as 07.00am.

20. As soon as work finished, I started searching all the hospitals in the hope that I would find

Saber there. There was no sign of him anywhere.

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21. After about 10 days we were told by the police that they had found Saber and he was dead.

22. Life will never be the same for our families and there is a void that has been left by the loss

of my dear uncle Saber.

23. I feel great sadness when I think about the morning of 14 June 2017 and I have struggled to

deal with my emotions and the stress that the fire at Grenfell has brought to my family.

24. I am on medication on account of the depression that I am suffering, but I will never be able

to get over the fact that I have lost my uncle Saber.

Statement of Truth

I believe that the facts stated in this witness statement are true. I confirm that I am willing that

the statement forms part of the evidence before the Inquiry, and may be published on the

Inquiry's website, save for redactions indicated in the text, and those applied by the Inquiry.

Signed:

Lotfrahman Ilabibrahman Abdulrahman

Dated: 21 May 2018

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