London fire: Woman posted live video from inside burning tower

Rania Ibrham, believed to be mother of two small children, remains missing after blaze

Water is sprayed on Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building. Photograph: Rick Findler/PA Wire

A woman who broadcast a Facebook Live video from inside the Grenfell Tower in London as it burned remains missing.

At least 17 people have died in the fire, which swept through the 24-storey block in west London early on Wednesday morning, trapping many residents on upper floors as smoke filled corridors and stairwells.

Rania Ibrham (30), believed to be a mother of two small children, streamed a live video from inside the burning building as she appeared to be stuck at the top of the tower block, and has not been heard from by friends since.

Posted by Rania Ibrham on Tuesday, June 13, 2017

In the footage, she can be seen seeking help in the smoke-covered corridor of the block before going back into her home and looking down on the street below from her balcony.

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At one point, a woman’s voice can be heard shouting to people below: “We’re stuck on the 23rd floor - there’s too many people stuck upstairs.”

Rania’s friend Rahmana Rashid posted a picture of her and two young girls on Facebook saying: “Rania Ibrham my friend is missing from the [Grenfell Tower], if you have seen her or have any news on her pls contact me.”

Another friend, named only as Maseen, told the MailOnline: "My friend, Ranya Ibrham, lives on the top floor with her two children who are just three and five years old.

“I received a Snapchat video from Ranya at 3am just after the fire started and I haven’t heard from her since,” she said.

“She lives on the top floor and her husband was not home because he is on holiday.”

Firefighters and police continued to search through the debris to retrieve bodies on Thursday morning but it is feared nobody from the top three floors of the tower made it out alive.

The search and rescue operation continued amid rising outrage over reports that the company which managed the block for the local Conservative-run council had ignored warnings from residents about the building’s safety.

Additional reporting: PA