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Article snippet: The civil war in Syria turned Mohammed Alhajali into a refugee. After making a dangerous crossing to Europe by sea, a friend said, he eventually found refuge in Britain. On Thursday, a charity said that Mr. Alhajali, 23, had died in the huge fire that ravaged the Grenfell Tower apartment building a day earlier. He was among the first victims to be identified. At least 17 people were known to have died in the blaze, though the authorities warned Thursday that the death toll was likely to rise. The Syria Solidarity Campaign, a London-based advocacy group, confirmed Mr. Alhajali’s death. “Mohammed’s older brother Omar, who was with him in the flat, survived but lost Mohammed on the way out,” said group said on Facebook. “Omar was rescued by the fire services while Mohammed went back upstairs,” the group said. “Mohammed was on the phone for two hours with a friend in Syria, waiting to be rescued.” “When the fire reached his flat on the 14th floor,” the statement added, “Mohammed bid his friend goodbye, saying that the fire had reached him. He asked his friend to pass on the message to his family.” Friends say Mr. Alhajali had planned to return to Syria when the war was over, and was studying civil engineering at the University of West London. Abdulaziz Almashi, who said he met Mr. Alhajali at a Syria Solidarity Campaign event, described him as “so lovely” and recalled how they became fast friends. “He escaped, he crossed the sea to Greece,” Mr. Almashi said, describi... Link to the full article to read more