Witness Statement of: Mushtaq Lasharie

No. of statement: 1

Exhibits: 1

Date of statement: 5 June 2018

GRENFELL TOWER PUBLIC INQUIRY

WITNESS STATEMENT OF MUSHTAQ LASHARIE

1, MUSHTAQ LASHARIE, will say as follows:

1. I make this statement about the events that took place on 14 June 2017 for the

purposes of Phase 1 of the Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry. I wish to make a further

statement for Phase 2 of the Inquiry.

Background

2. I was born on I am currently retired.

3. I lived in In Testerton Walk, London W11 with my wife Abida Lasharie,

daughter Beinazir Lasharie and her two children, my son Ghulam Lasharie and his

wife Sonia Zafar. I have lived in Testerton Walk since 17 January 1983.

4. Our flat had three bedrooms. You could see the Tower from all five windows in the

flat. Our balcony faced the Tower. Our flat is 40 to 50 yards away from the Tower, so

it is very close.

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Community

5. The community was very peaceful and friendly. I never felt in fear being there and I

could come home after midnight without any worry. As neighbours we used to do

things like keep post for each other. My five children grew up here on the estate and 1

never had any difficulties with them going out. My wife used to cook meals for other

children who lived on the estate who were friends with my children. I was very

involved with the families who lived on the estate and I was elected as parent

governor at the local school.

6. Most of my neighbours were supporters of me as the Labour Party Councillor for 18

years (1992 — 2010). 1 knew most of my neighbours because of this. When we moved

to the estate in 1983 I became involved in the Lancaster West Estate Resident

Association and the Estate Management Board. I was Deputy Mayor in 2003/2004

and I was part of the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation

(KCTMO) from 1994 to the early 2000s. 1 was active in the community even before I

became a councillor; I used to knock on the doors of people in the Walkway and

Tower to campaign. In the early 2000s I did a documentary where I interviewed 10 to

15 people who came to the area in the 60s and 70s. One person who was involved

lived in Grenfell Tower.

14 June

7. I was at home at around 12:00 on 14 June. 1 was sitting in my kitchen watching

television on my laptop. I was watching what was happening with a government being

formed after the General Election.

8. Just before 01:00 I heard noises coming from outside so I looked out of the kitchen

window and I saw Grenfell Tower on fire. From the kitchen window the Tower was

on the left hand side. I can't be sure if that was the time. I could see the flames on the

outside of Grenfell Tower. There was a lot of lire. I could see people outside and they

were running around. The noise was so loud and I could also hear that the residents in

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the Walkways had woken up because people were running in between Testerton Walk

and Barandon Walk and gathering in between. There is a walkway that connects the

two buildings and residents were running through this part.

9. My daughter-in-law and daughter ran out of the flat and they went outside of Grenfell

Walk which is opposite the Tower. They knew people who lived in the Tower. I left

the flat and I went to stand where the two of them were standing, in front of the

Tower. I have marked where I was standing at the time on a map which I exhibit at

ML/1. My son was also standing with me. My daughter-in-law was crying and my

son took her into his arms to console her.

10. The fire brigade was there and the firefighters were pushing us away. The firefighters

and police officers there stopped us going any closer. They kept saying "stay back,

stay back!" Debris was falling down from the Tower. There was panic, crying and

hysteria. I was trying to control my daughter, daughter-in-law and son because they

wanted to go inside the Tower to help people get out. I feared for their safety and I

thought that they would get caught in the fire. My daughter and daughter-in-law were

shouting and crying. I was very distressed and upset trying to restrain them. The

firefighters stopped them from going inside. I also thought about running in myself to

help people. I wanted my family to go back into the flat where they would be safe.

1 1 My daughter was panicking. She was telling firefighters "so and so is on this floor". I

had to control her. I was trying to grab her and hug her. She was jumping up and

down. I was holding her and trying to get her to go inside the flat. I was saying "it is

okay, the professionals are here". She was crying hysterically and I feared she would

have a panic attack. I was feeling very disturbed and very upset. I wanted to cry but I

thought that I had to be strong and I wanted to stay to see that everyone was safe.

12. My wife was still inside the flat with the kids. She couldn't leave them alone. I know

from speaking with her that the children were shocked and frightened. My main

priority at the time was my daughter-in-law, my children and grandchildren.

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13. There were quite a few people from Grenfell Walk and the Walkways gathered in

front of the Tower. There were dozens of people. I think that some people from the

Walkway were too frightened to come out and they stayed in their flats. Everyone was

frightened for their own safety, including me; and everyone was in a state of limbo

not knowing what to do.

14. I could see after 01:30 to 02:00 that the fire was really bad. I remember thinking "will

anyone get out of this Tower alive?" The families of residents inside the Tower were

gathered outside. There was nothing to speak about. We said three to four words to

one another like "oh my God" and "what is happening?" I felt very disturbed by what

I could see and unhappy. I was just standing there watching. I could see and hear

people from the Tower shouting "help!" and I could see people in the windows

waving their hands to get attention. I saw these people's faces. They had opened their

windows and were waving clothes. I saw a young black man in his 30s tie a bed sheet

to a window and try to come down the Tower. I didn't see what happened to him after

that.

15. I saw a Tower resident I know called Mouna. She rushed into Testerton Walk around

02:00 with her family. She lived in the Tower with her husband and three children.

Her mother and brothers lived opposite us. Her children were very distraught. Mouna

is a very close friend to my daughter and my wife and her children play with my

grandchildren.

16. The Tower by this time was alight and it looked like a fire bomb. I was fearful of the

building collapsing. I was worried about our safety and what would happen to our flat

if' this happened.

1 7. Debris was falling down from the Tower but we had moved and we were now

standing outside the door to Testerton Walk, out of reach from the falling debris. I

saw this falling debris and it again made me think that the Tower might collapse.

People around me watching didn't think that the Tower would be able to sustain this

fire. That's what people were saying. I saw the firefighters rushing in and out of the

Tower, pulling pipes and hoses and trying to put water on the building. I saw the

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firefighters going inside the Tower and coming out with people. The fire brigade was

trying to extinguish the fire. The police was there and were trying to keep people

away from it.

1 8. Between 02:30 and 03:00 the fire brigade and police asked us all to leave where we

were. At this point I was standing at Testerton Walk door with my daughter, daughter-

in-law and son. My wife, my grandchildren and my daughter's partner were inside the

flat. The fire was so huge that the whole Tower was now in flames. They wanted us to

leave the area. I walked away from where I was standing with my family at around

03:00. I was later thiven in a car to my son's house who lives in Chelsea. When we

got to his house we put the television on so we could watch what was happening.

19. I didn't have anywhere to sleep in my son's house so I slept on the floor in the sitting

room.

Aftermath

20. We stayed at my son's house for a couple of days. We didn't have a choice but to go

back to our flat in Testerton Walk.

21. I remember going back to the flat for the first time and seeing that our balcony was

full of debris from the Tower. No one was sure about the pollution levels with all of

the smoke in the air and this was a worry. There was no gas or hot water in the flat- I

spent the first six weeks without hot water. It was not what you would call a liveable

flat. The electricity was however working.

22. My family felt very distraught and upset when they returned to the flat. My family

and I had a feeling that the Tower could fall down and onto the Walkways. We were

fearful we might get hurt. I was worried about my daughter a lot and her mental

health. My family then moved out of the flat and into temporary accommodation. I

however stayed in the flat.

23. For the first week after the fire I was giving interviews and was generally out on the

streets talking to people in the community and spending time with them. Most people

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for the first days were sitting outside; some were at St Clements Church. I was

visiting churches and going around speaking to people. No one knew what was going

on. People were asking questions like "who died?", "how many died?", "who is still

missing?" There was no support for residents.

Impact

24. I knew an couple who lived in Flat 143 of Grenfell Tower. The husband is Sabah

Abdullah and he was married to Khadija Khalloufi. She died in the fire. Their

daughter lived in I knew them very well. I have known them

since the early 90s. Sabah and another professor wanted to start courses for Middle

Eastern people and I supported him in this. We became friends after that. We

campaigned together to lift the UK sanctions against Iraq. I used to visit their flat and

have coffee with them. Sabah used to campaign with me and help translate for people.

He is a very close friend and I saw him a couple of times a week. I am devastated

about Khadija's death. I knew her well. She used to call me councillor. She would

make coffee and tea and we would talk about life. She was beautiful, friendly and

kind. She would go out of her way to say hello.

25. 1 knew Joseph Daniels and his son Sam Daniels who lived on the 21st floor. Joseph

was the former husband of Lucy Daniels. Joseph died and Sam

escaped. Lucy was part of the Lancaster West Estate Resident Association. We were

involved in this in the 80s. As an activist I used to support them. I am devastated

about his death. We used to drink in the local pub together. It's devastating to have

lost him.

26. 1 knew Abdel Salam from Flat 81 on the 11th floor who died. He was an old man. His

family live in Ladbroke Grove. He was also a member of the Labour Party. He used to

come to me as I was a Muslim as he found it easier to communicate with me.

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27. I knew Nura Jemai and her whole family who died that night. Personally I was not

very close to them but Nura and my wife were close friends. When we were passing

we would say hello. Her children were the same age as my grandchildren. They used

to play together. The impact of their deaths on my family was huge. I saw her children

as my own grandchildren. My grandchildren have been asking about them.

28. I knew a IIindu family- husband wife and son. All three of them escaped and I saw

them the day after the fire at the local centre. His wife is close to my wife. Their child

is younger than my children but they were quite close.

29. My family has been devastated about what happened on 14 June. Because of what

happened, we are now all living in difference places. I have been strong enough to

stay back in the flat. I am now living alone and I feel lonely and isolated. Since the

fire I do feel like the community has become closer.

30. I have been attending the Public Inquiry hearings and I have been reminded about the

other people who died on the night and this is affecting me. It was very sad hearing

about the deaths of Victoria King and Khadija Saye. There was another lady I knew

who lived alone and had no children. She was very friendly. I think of these people

who lost their lives and it makes me cry.

Statement of truth

I believe that the facts stated in this statement are true.

I am willing for this statement to form part of the evidence before the Inquiry and for it to be

published on the Inquiry's website.

Signed:

Dated:

Mushtaq Lasharie

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