A resident of an apartment building said the fire that forced dozens of people to flee started after an electronic bicycle charging in his house caught fire. Liiban Shakat described that he believed he would “die” after his friend, whom he named Abid Naser Mohamed, woke him up and led him to the guests’ bedroom, which was engulfed in flames. Mr Mohammed was rushed to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation after emergency services including 60 firefighters and two ambulances rushed to the scene shortly after 9am, Mr Sakat said. The resident said how his friend started charging an e-bike battery in the apartment when he started smoking in the socket. When he unplugged it, the environment caught fire, according to Shakat. Liiban Shakat, a resident of the apartment where a fire broke out on the 12th floor of the Stebbing House in Queensdale Crescent Speaking to reporters outside the building, he said: “(My friend) was in the room that caught fire. He was in bed. “His mouth was black because he inhaled so much smoke.” The 38-year-old was half-awake when he was confronted by the flames and hurried to throw a bucket of water over the burning debris. But this ended up worsening the fire and he ran to try to escape the building and alert his neighbors by knocking on the nearby doors on the 12th floor. “Something was coming from the bike, smoke, so he unplugged it. “Now the debris, the plastic, the fire has taken over the whole place, the windows the bed,” said Mr Shakat. 12th floor burn marks at Stebbing Hous The resident, who has lived for more than 20 years in the apartment building at Stebbing House in Shepherd’s Bush, west London, claimed that there was no fire alarm and no water sprinklers were activated, despite hell. The Hammersmith and Fulham Council, which is believed to be managing the building, has been contacted for comment. However, Jonathan Stone, director of building security at the council, said fire safety measures taken by local authorities “prevented a new Grenfell”. Both Stone and Labor leader Steven Cowan, who were at the scene later, said they had been informed that the fire alarms had gone off as expected. The council has a system called Fire Safety Plus, they said, which has taken steps including installing fire doors to help residents stay protected. The fire was brought under control around 10:55 a.m., something Mr Cowan said was made possible in part by a lack of flammable material in the building – a critical difference from the Grenfell Tower. He said residents could reasonably be “in shock” after the test and that reports of fire alarms not sounding were considered inaccurate. “Great concern for the residents” Hammersmith Labor MP Andy Slaughter said the work, which he understood the fire would be a “major concern”, said a full report would be completed to formally determine the cause. “Any fire, especially in high-rise buildings, will cause great concern to residents and they will need reassurance that all security measures are in place,” he said. At least 30 residents fled the building as clouds of black smoke billowed from windows on the 12th floor on Tuesday morning. Mr Shakat recalled watching the Grenfell Tower fire from the same apartment that caught fire on Tuesday, saying the fire brought back memories of the tragedy. He said: “I remember seeing it. We were playing Playstation “. He added: “I thought I was going to die today.” Fire breaks out near Grenfell Tower in West London Credit: Twitter / @ fabtic_ltd / PA In detail, how the events of the morning unfolded, he said: “He (Mr. Mohammed) is forcing me to wake up. I follow him. I entered the room and the whole room is on fire. I ran to the sink, got a bucket of water and tried to discourage the fire and then it got worse. “I was in shock,” he said. “I did not know what to do”. The London Ambulance Service said two ambulances and a hazardous area team were present, with one person being transported to hospital and two being assessed at the scene. In a statement from the scene, station commander David Bracewell said: “Firefighters encountered a fire on the 12th floor of a tower building at W11. Three people from the affected apartment left before the brigade arrived. Some other residents evacuated the building. “Firefighters led six residents to safety through an internal staircase. Other residents who were not affected by fire, heat or smoke were advised to stay in their apartments. “In the early stages we used a new technology called 9Eye that allowed a caller to send live video of the event directly to the brigade’s 999 call center. “We have also used a 32-meter escalator to pour water outside the building.” In a statement on Twitter, the ambulance service said: “The London Ambulance Service is responding to a fire in Queensdale Crescent, W11, along with colleagues from the London Fire Department. “We have sent multiple resources to the scene and are treating several patients.” The building is less than a mile from Grenfell Tower where 72 people lost their lives in a fire in 2017. Do you want a quick and specific update on the biggest news? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out what you need to know …
