Kebede’s ethnic background is a not-insignificant aspect of his treatment by the Mail, given that we are dealing with a hate sheet that regularly churns out a torrent of anti-immigrant bile. The only reason for the Mail to disclose Kebede’s identity was to deflect the growing anger of the population in London and nationally, who are demanding the real culprits be held responsible, towards a single individual. “The crew was leaving the building when firefighters outside spotted flames rising up the side of the building.”

Units were called to what they believed to be a standard fridge fire at the doomed high-rise, and within minutes told residents the fire was out in the flat. Citing BBC Panorama, on Monday, the Mail, as part of an effort to distance itself from its earlier report, wrote, “Firefighters who successfully tackled the fridge fire that started the Grenfell Tower thought their job was done and began to leave-only realising how quickly it had spread when they stepped outside. Kebede cannot be blamed in any way for the fact that Grenfell was turned into a towering inferno within minutes in the early hours of June 14. I could see it because the flat door was open. It was exactly 12.50 am because I was sleeping and it woke me up. One of Kebede’s neighbours is even reported by the Mail, in the same article in which it disclosed his identity, as stating, “‘He knocked on the door, and he said there was a fire in his flat. Goodbye’.”Īccording to all reports, after the fire began, Kebede immediately raised the alarm and tried to alert as many people as possible. Asked whether the fire started in his flat, he replied: ‘I’m busy, I’m busy.

The Mail tracked down Kebede, who they reported was in “emergency accommodation close to the scene of the disaster.”Īn indication of the impact of the Mail reporters’ intrusive behaviour is given by the quotes from Kebede: “‘I am very upset’. One of the captions on a photo of Kebede stated that his ‘faulty fridge started the Grenfell Tower inferno. Stooping to new lows, on June 16, just two days after the fire, the Mail named the occupant of the flat where the horrific inferno that gutted the tower on the Lancaster West estate London allegedly began.Īs well as naming Behailu Kebede, a father of one, originally from Ethiopia and employed as a taxi driver, the newspaper published five photos. Amid protests and growing demands for justice to be meted out to the political and corporate figures responsible for the dozens of deaths in the Grenfell Tower fire, the Daily Mail attempted to scapegoat a resident.

Tower of inferno torrent