Refugee who fled Syria violence killed in London fire

New York [US], June. 16 (ANI): In a heartbreaking revelation, it has been learnt that a Syrian refugee who escaped civil war and landed in the United Kingdom for a better life, was one of the victims of the deadly Grenfell Tower fire in west London.

Mohammad Al-Hajali, 23, a civil engineering student at the University of West London was killed in the inferno, CNN reports quoting UK-based Syria Solidarity Campaign.

"A Syrian refugee in the UK, Mohammed passed away in the Grenfell Tower fire yesterday. We are heartbroken for his family, who thought he had found safety in the UK," the campaign said in a Facebook post.

The student arrived in the UK four years ago after fleeing his home in Daraa, Syria, and crossing the treacherous Mediterranean Sea from Turkey.

Mohammad and his brother Omar, 25, a student at Westminster Business School, lived together in a 14th-floor apartment in Grenfell Tower. The brothers were separated as they tried to escape the building during the fire early Wednesday.

After being overwhelmed by smoke, Mohammad was forced to return to the apartment, where he called family and friends to say goodbye.

"He was on the phone with his brother, who survived, until 5 a.m. ... The last thing he said was that 'the fire is coming inside, I will die. And he called one of his friends to pass the news to his family in Syria, to tell them he loved them. He tried calling but couldn't reach them." Abdullah Hourani, co-founder of the Syria Solidarity Campaign and a friend of Al-Hajali's told CNN.

At least 17 people have been confirmed dead in Wednesday's blaze in the 24-story tower, and that number is likely to rise. (ANI)

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