A day after the horrific blaze at Grenfell Tower that killed 12 residents, Londoners are saying that Muslims awake for Ramadan might have helped save a lot of lives.
Residents have told the Independent of how they didn't hear alarms as the fire swept through the 24-storey tower block in West London.
But they were instead alerted to the blaze by fellow residents, some of whom may have been Muslim people who were awake early in the morning because of Ramadan and were among the first to notice the fire.
The fire broke out not long after midnight and when many people living inside the tower block were asleep.
Muslims were among the first people on the scene as people were evacuated from Grenville Tower.
Andre Barroso, 33, told The Independent: "Muslims played a big part in getting a lot of people out.
"Most of the people I could see were Muslim. They have also been providing food and clothes."
In a video, one woman was seen praising the young Muslim boys who woke up residents and sought help as they returned from Ramadan prayers at their local mosque. "They were the first people with bags of water, running and telling people," she said.
As the fire blazed through the night, claiming lives and engulfing the surrounding streets in smoke, Londoners rallied together to assist those in need. A local church opened its doors, quickly becoming the go-to destination for donations and prayers. Local mosques began fundraising, offering shelter and supplies.
When morning came and the high-rise building continued to burn, Londoners took to Twitter and the streets of Kensington to offer their support. Arriving at a local church, some brought with them water and clothes, others came clutching fresh fruit and clean towels. They booked hotels for the newly homeless residents of Grenfell and used social media sites to offer car rides and cups of tea. They came of all ages, races and religions with one goal: to help.
A donation page seeking to raise money for the families of Grenfell Tower was created and shared on social networking sites.
"In this tight-night [sic] community, many families have lost everything they own, whilst others have lost their lives" the page read. "The money raised will be for those residents of Grenfell Tower affected and will hopefully, even in some small way, help them with whatever they may need in the aftermath."
Less than 12 hours later, more than 100,000 British pounds ($128,000) had already been raised.
