A friend of Mohammed Alhaj Ali, the first named victim of the Grenfell Tower fire, said how unfair it is that Alhaj Ali escaped war-ravaged Syria only to die in this week's blaze in west London.
Abdullah Hourani, who is co-founder of the UK-based Syria Solidarity Campaign, told The Associated Press that Mohammed and his brother Omar lived in the Grenfell Tower but lost each other in the smoke-filled corridor as they tried to escape.
Mohammed was a 23-year-old Syrian refugee studying in London who hoped one day to return to help his war-torn country.
Hourani also said he was angry as Grenfell Tower residents had reported safety concerns about the building "many times".
At least 17 people were killed as flames raced through the 24-story Grenfell Tower early on Wednesday (Thursday NZT), trapping people inside their apartments.
Many people remained unaccounted for on Thursday (Friday, NZT), and officials weren't sure exactly how many were missing, but they expected the death toll to rise significantly.
