Grenfell Tower victims: From a Syrian refugee who escaped war to a missing six-month-old baby

A Syrian refugee and an acclaimed photographer have been named as two of at least 30 people killed when a fire ripped through the Grenfell Tower block in West London this week.

The death toll is expected to rise.

Syrian refugee

Mohammed al-Haj Ali, a civil engineering student at the University of West London, fled his hometown of Daraa in Syria three years ago and was granted asylum in the UK.

"He survived Assad, the war in Syria, only to die in a tower block in London. There are no words," Abdulaziz al-Mashi, a friend of the family, told the Telegraph.

Al-Haj Ali, who lived on the 14th floor, was in his flat with his brother Omar when the fire broke out.

The two were separated during the chaotic evacuation of the building and only Omar survived.

The local Syrian community held a vigil to remember their friend on Wednesday night.

One person wrote the message: "You are in our hearts Mohammad al-Hajali, wherever you may be".

He survived Assad, the war in Syria, only to die in a tower block in London. There are no words

'My heart breaks today'

British photographer Khadija Saye, 24, was named on Friday as one of the victims. The artist had recently shown her work at the Venice Biennale, a prestigious art exhibition.

"May you rest in peace Khadija Saye. God bless your beautiful soul. My heart breaks today. I mourn the tragic loss of a wonderful young woman," said David Lammy, a Labour MP who knew her.

Her work at the Venice Biennale was featured in the Diaspora Pavilion and was devoted to Gambian spiritual practices.

"It's been a real journey, tears shed, highs and lows, but mama, I'm an artist exhibiting at the Venice Biennale and the blessings are abundant!" she had written on Facebook.

My heart breaks today. I mourn the tragic loss of a wonderful young woman

The missing

Dozens of families continue to face an agonisingly wait for news of their loved ones, hoping for the best but fearing the worst.

Six Lebanese nationals including young children, all members of the same family, are still unaccounted for two days after a devastating fire.

Bassem and Nadia Choucair, their three daughters Mirna, Fatima and Zeinab, as well as the girls' grandmother Sareyah, are all still missing.

Sawsan Choucair, Nadia's sister, made a tearful appearance on ITV on Thursday morning, revealing she had called them around 3am during the blaze.

She said she spoke to them as soon as she heard about the fire and could hear them screaming and shouting as they tried to get out.

'Tell my sons I love them'

Tony Disson, 65, made a series of phone calls from his flat during the fire, saying he was trapped in his bathroom.

The great-grandad's phone stopped responding around 4am after he told a friend to "tell my sons I love them", according to The Sun newspaper.

His eldest son Lee, 47, wrote on Facebook: "If anyone has seen my dad, Tony Disson, could they let us know. My heart goes out to all the people at Grenfell Tower."

Farah Hamdan, her husband Omar Belkadi and their six-month-old daughter are still unaccounted for, according to Farah's father, Rkia.

"We've been to all the hospitals and we've been searching all day but we still haven't found them. We just want to know they are safe," he told The Sun.

Italian couple Marco Gottardi, 27, and Gloria Trevisan, 27, were both missing, feared dead, according to one of their fathers.

The two architects had moved to London three months ago for work.

"At the moment there are two of our citizens who are confirmed as missing," an Italian foreign ministry official told AFP.

Mariem Elgwahry, 27, lived on the 19th floor, where she is reported to have lived with mother Suhar.

Family and friends told The Independent newspaper that they had searched local hospitals, but had found neither women.

We've been to all the hospitals and we've been searching all day but we still haven't found them. We just want to know they are safe

'Very, very scared'

Jessica Urbano, 12, has not been traced since talking to her aunt Sandra Ruiz at around 1:40am.

"She was with a group of people in the fire escape, in the fire stairs, they live on the 20th floor," said Ruiz, while appealing for information.

"She would have been in her bed clothes and she will be very, very, very scared. We're just desperate to find her."

Sheila Smith, 84, is the oldest of those to be declared missing so far.

Her son Adam, who describes himself as a tech entrepreneur, launched an appeal on Twitter, writing "my Mum is missing – Sheila, 84-years-old, 16th floor Grenfell Tower."

Rania Ibrham, 30, uploaded a distressing Facebook Live video as she pleaded for help from a smoke-filled corridor before going back into her flat. She has not been contactable since.