Family pay tribute to the hero of Grenfell Tower who sheltered six victims
NC Raymond “Moses” Bernard gave refuge to the fleeing victims
As there was no way down to escape, the only alternative was to head towards the top floor Bernadette Bernard
They perished together in his 24th-storey flat, suffocated by smoke, poisoned by cyanide fumes and finally consumed by fire. Mr Bernard’s dog Marley also died in the fire. His sister Bernadette told the inquiry her brother’s nickname was apt. Fighting back tears, she said: “My beloved Ray was my modern-day Moses, my hero. Ray always had a smile on his face. “He knew how to love without expecting anything in return.”
Six people fleeing the flames were welcomed into the 63-year-old’s home. They were Deborah Lamprell, 45, Jessica Urbano-Ramirez, 12, pregnant Berkti Haftom, 29, her 12-year- old son Biruk, Hamid Kani, 61, and one other, said Miss Bernard. “As there was no way down to escape, the only alternative was to head towards the top floor,” she told the inquiry. “There they met Ray and took refuge in his flat. “The positioning of Deborah, Jessica, Berkti and Biruk were on my brother’s bed with my brother resting beside the bed on the floor.
PA Six people fleeing the flames were welcomed into the 63-year-old’s home
“This shows the respect he gave to those who lost their lives and we know that he would have given comfort to each of them.” She added: “Ray being a man and the strongest he was probably the last to die. “He would have been so alone. We know from the details shared by the coroner that Ray was a hero on that tragic night.” Tributes were paid to the victims at the Millennium Hotel in South Kensington ahead of formal hearings next week. The inferno last June claimed the lives of 71 people.
Earlier, the daughter of a disabled woman criticised Kensington and Chelsea Council for housing her on the 18th floor when officials acknowledged she should never have been living above the fourth floor. Sakineh Afrasiabi’s “human right to escape” was breached by the decision, said Nazanin Aghlani. She said Iranian-born Ms Afrasiabi, 65, was partially blind and could only move with the aid of a tri-walker. Ms Aghlani added: “Every day as our mind tries to make sense of this disastrous tragedy, we come to the conclusion that it was not only the horrifying fire that took my mum’s life that night. “The discrimination and failure in duty of care by the housing allocations team which resulted in a vulnerable, physically disabled and partially sighted pensioner being housed on the 18th floor of a tower block equally took the life of my mum.”
PA Ms Afrasiabi, 65, was partially blind and could only move with the aid of a tri-walker
Bernard Richmond, QC, counsel to the inquiry, said it had been heartbreaking to witness the “depth of grief and despair” of the bereaved. He added: “But uplifting too, to be present in a room where each of those speaking was given so much support and love, to experience the truly amazing spirit of the community that was Grenfell, and which will doubtless live on in the hearts of the survivors, long after the remains of the tower are no longer visible. “To hear the beautiful words and thoughts expressed in so many moving ways...like all of us present, it will leave in me an indelible mark and we should all be honoured to be privileged to have been here to listen.”
Grenfell memorial service Thu, December 14, 2017 Prince William, Kate and Harry pay respects to Grenfell victims at memorial service. Play slideshow PA 1 of 19 A banner at Grenfell Tower National Memorial Service at St Paul's Cathedral in London
Hotel bill for inferno survivors soars to £21m The hotel bill for Grenfell fire survivors could have rebuilt the tower block three times over, it was claimed last night. More than £21million has reportedly been spent on hotel rooms for people made homeless by the inferno. Experts say the 24-storey block, built in the 1970s for about £500,000, could now be replaced for £6.5million. Latest figures reveal 72 families are in emergency accommodation. A further 58 are in temporary homes, while another 80 have been permanently housed.
GETTY More than £21million has reportedly been spent on hotel rooms for people made homeless by the fire