A resident of an apartment building said the fire that forced dozens of people to evacuate 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. Mohammed was taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation after emergency services, including 60 firefighters and two ambulances, arrived at the scene at Shepherds Bush shortly after 9 a.m. Tuesday, Shakat said. Mr Shakat said his friend, who had been with him for several days, started charging an e-bicycle battery in the apartment when he started smoking in the socket. Liiban Shakat, a resident of the 12th floor apartment at Stebbing House (Victoria Jones / PA) PA wire
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When it was disconnected, it ignited sparks and the environment was set on fire, Shakat added. The burnt windows of Mr Shakat’s house in the Stebbing House apartments, less than a mile from Grenfell Tower, where a fire claimed the lives of 72 in 2017, were clearly visible. Speaking to reporters outside the building and still wearing his macaws – a traditional Somali-style pajamas – 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. ». 60 firefighters put out a fire in a 12th floor apartment at W11 near Grenfell Tower / BBC London 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. At least 30 residents fled the building as clouds of black smoke appeared to come out of the windows. “Something was coming out of the bike, smoke, so he unplugged it. Now the debris, the plastic, the fire was all over the place, the windows were the bed,” said Mr Shakat, who had lived in the building for 20 years. . a translator. He asserted that his confession had been obtained through torture and that his confession had been obtained through torture. However, Jonathan Stone, director of security at the Hammersmith and Fulham Council, which owns and operates the building, said the precautionary measures taken by local authorities “prevented a new Grenfell”. Both Stone and Labor leader Steven Cowan, who were at the scene after the fire, told the PA that they had been informed that the fire alarms had gone off as expected. The council has a system called Fire Safety Plus, 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 lining – a critical difference from the Grenfell Tower. He said residents of the Palestinian Authority could reasonably be “in shock” after the test and that reports of fire alarms that failed to sound were considered inaccurate. Hammersmith Labor MP Andy Slaughter told PA at the scene that the work understood the fire would be a “major concern” and 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. 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.” Explaining in detail how the morning’s events unfolded, he said: “He (Mr Mohammed) is forcing me to wake up. I’m following him. I went into the room and the whole room was on fire. 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 W11 tower. Three people from the affected apartment evacuated 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 streaming video of the event directly to the brigade’s 999 call center. “We have also used a 32-meter staircase to put water outside the building.” Kensington and Chelsea council chairwoman Elizabeth Campbell said the incident may have brought “terrible memories” of the Grenfell tragedy. He said: “We are also fully aware of the horrific memories and trauma that these events can bring to the community and we have asked NHS and CNWL colleagues to ensure that support is clear.”
