A man trapped in Grenfell Tower as it burned told his sister-in-law he was at work to stop her from worrying about him, she has told the inquiry into the disaster.

Bassem Choucair, 40, later died on the 22nd floor of the high-rise alongside his mother-in-law Sirra Choucair, 60, his wife, Nadia Choucair, 33, and his children, Mierna, 13, Fatima, 11, and Zaynab, three.

Sawson Choucair – who lived opposite her sister, brother-in-law and nieces with her 60-year-old mother – told the inquiry she was staying with a friend on the night of the blaze.

In a written statement, Ms Choucair said she was devastated by the loss of six members of her family and was haunted by the memory of standing outside the building as her loved ones burnt to death.

Nadia Choucair (left) with members of her family (Grenfell Tower Inquiry)

She learned Grenfell Tower was on fire when a friend sent her a text message at around 3am on 14 June last year and rushed to the west Kensington tower block, while attempting to reach her family by telephone.

“I eventually got through to Bassem and told him there was a fire in the tower,” Ms Choucair said.

“He replied that he wasn’t in the tower as he was at work. He told me not to worry."

She added: “I now know that this was not true and that he was in the tower, but I think he didn’t want to upset me.”

Bassem, who worked at Marks & Spencer, reportedly left a message with his colleagues to let them know he was not going to come into work shortly before 2am.

In the message he said there was a fire in his building and apologised for “letting you down”.

Ms Choucair said that since the blaze she had heard recordings of the 999 calls made by her family.

“I could hear my nieces in the background crying and someone comforting them, telling them not to worry as they would be OK and all die together not alone,” she said.

“The last words recorded of my family in their dying moments on the telephone will stay with me forever.

“To hear an adult trying to explain to a child that they are going to die but not to worry is horrific.”

Meghan Markle launches cookbook in aid of Grenfell Tower survivors Show all 11 1 /11 Meghan Markle launches cookbook in aid of Grenfell Tower survivors Meghan Markle launches cookbook in aid of Grenfell Tower survivors NEWS EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO COMMERCIAL USE. NO MERCHANDISING, ADVERTISING, SOUVENIRS, MEMORABILIA or COLOURABLY SIMILAR. NOT FOR USE AFTER 17 SEPTEMBER 2019 WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION FROM KENSINGTON PALACE. Copyright in the photograph is vested in Jenny Zarins Ltd. Publications are asked to credit the photographs to Jenny Zarins. No charge should be made for the supply, release or publication of the photograph. The photograph must not be digitally enhanced, manipulated or modified in any manner or form. This handout photograph issued by Kensington Palace shows food on the table in the Hubb Community Kitchen at the Al Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre in West London, in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire, which has resulted in the publications of Together: Our Community Cookbook, that features the women's own personal recipes from across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean and for which the Duchess of Sussex has written the foreword. PA Wire/PA Images Meghan Markle launches cookbook in aid of Grenfell Tower survivors NEWS EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO COMMERCIAL USE. NO MERCHANDISING, ADVERTISING, SOUVENIRS, MEMORABILIA or COLOURABLY SIMILAR. NOT FOR USE AFTER 17 SEPTEMBER 2019 WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION FROM KENSINGTON PALACE. Copyright in the photograph is vested in Jenny Zarins Ltd. Publications are asked to credit the photographs to Jenny Zarins. No charge should be made for the supply, release or publication of the photograph. The photograph must not be digitally enhanced, manipulated or modified in any manner or form. This handout photograph issued by Kensington Palace shows the Duchess of Sussex cooking with women in the Hubb Community Kitchen at the Al Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre in West London, in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire, which has resulted in the publications of Together: Our Community Cookbook, which features the women's own personal recipes from across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean and for which the Duchess has written the foreword. PA Wire/PA Images Meghan Markle launches cookbook in aid of Grenfell Tower survivors NEWS EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO COMMERCIAL USE. NO MERCHANDISING, ADVERTISING, SOUVENIRS, MEMORABILIA or COLOURABLY SIMILAR. NOT FOR USE AFTER 17 SEPTEMBER 2019 WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION FROM KENSINGTON PALACE. Copyright in the photograph is vested in Jenny Zarins Ltd. Publications are asked to credit the photographs to Jenny Zarins. No charge should be made for the supply, release or publication of the photograph. The photograph must not be digitally enhanced, manipulated or modified in any manner or form. This handout photograph issued by Kensington Palace shows (left to right), Hiwot Dagnachew, Aysha Bora, Halima Al-huthaifi, Ahlam Saeid, Munira Mahmud, cooking in the Hubb Community Kitchen at the Al Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre in West London, in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire, which has resulted in the publications of Together: Our Community Cookbook, that features the women's own personal recipes from across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean and for which the Duchess of Sussex has written the foreword. PA Wire/PA Images Meghan Markle launches cookbook in aid of Grenfell Tower survivors NEWS EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO COMMERCIAL USE. NO MERCHANDISING, ADVERTISING, SOUVENIRS, MEMORABILIA or COLOURABLY SIMILAR. NOT FOR USE AFTER 17 SEPTEMBER 2019 WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION FROM KENSINGTON PALACE. Copyright in the photograph is vested in Jenny Zarins Ltd. Publications are asked to credit the photographs to Jenny Zarins. No charge should be made for the supply, release or publication of the photograph. The photograph must not be digitally enhanced, manipulated or modified in any manner or form. This handout photograph issued by Kensington Palace shows Intlak Al Saiegh and Ahlam Saeid cooking in the Hubb Community Kitchen at the Al Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre in West London, in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire, which has resulted in the publications of Together: Our Community Cookbook, that features the women's own personal recipes from across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean and for which the Duchess of Sussex has written the foreword. PA Wire/PA Images Meghan Markle launches cookbook in aid of Grenfell Tower survivors NEWS EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO COMMERCIAL USE. NO MERCHANDISING, ADVERTISING, SOUVENIRS, MEMORABILIA or COLOURABLY SIMILAR. NOT FOR USE AFTER 17 SEPTEMBER 2019 WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION FROM KENSINGTON PALACE. Copyright in the photograph is vested in Jenny Zarins Ltd. Publications are asked to credit the photographs to Jenny Zarins. No charge should be made for the supply, release or publication of the photograph. The photograph must not be digitally enhanced, manipulated or modified in any manner or form. This handout photograph issued by Kensington Palace shows the Duchess of Sussex cooking with women in the Hubb Community Kitchen at the Al Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre in West London, in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire, which has resulted in the publications of Together: Our Community Cookbook, which features the women's own personal recipes from across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean and for which the Duchess has written the foreword. PA Wire/PA Images Meghan Markle launches cookbook in aid of Grenfell Tower survivors NEWS EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO COMMERCIAL USE. NO MERCHANDISING, ADVERTISING, SOUVENIRS, MEMORABILIA or COLOURABLY SIMILAR. NOT FOR USE AFTER 17 SEPTEMBER 2019 WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION FROM KENSINGTON PALACE. Copyright in the photograph is vested in Jenny Zarins Ltd. Publications are asked to credit the photographs to Jenny Zarins. No charge should be made for the supply, release or publication of the photograph. The photograph must not be digitally enhanced, manipulated or modified in any manner or form. This handout photograph issued by Kensington Palace shows the Duchess of Sussex with women in the Hubb Community Kitchen at the Al Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre in West London, in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire. Their partnership has resulted in the publications of Together: Our Community Cookbook, which features the women's own personal recipes from across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean and for which the Duchess has written the foreword. PA Wire/PA Images Meghan Markle launches cookbook in aid of Grenfell Tower survivors LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 20: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (C) and her mother Doria Ragland pose for a family picture during the launch of a cookbook with recipes from a group of women affected by the Grenfell Tower fire at Kensington Palace on September 20, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Ben Stansall - WPA Pool/Getty Images) Getty Images Meghan Markle launches cookbook in aid of Grenfell Tower survivors LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 20: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex helps to prepare food at an event to mark the launch of a cookbook with recipes from a group of women affected by the Grenfell Tower fire at Kensington Palace on September 20, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Ben Stansall - WPA Pool/Getty Images) Getty Images Meghan Markle launches cookbook in aid of Grenfell Tower survivors LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 20: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (L) helps to prepare food at an event to mark the launch of a cookbook with recipes from a group of women affected by the Grenfell Tower fire at Kensington Palace on September 20, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Ben Stansall - WPA Pool/Getty Images) Getty Images Meghan Markle launches cookbook in aid of Grenfell Tower survivors LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 20: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (C) arrives with her mother Doria Ragland (L) and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex to host an event to mark the launch of a cookbook with recipes from a group of women affected by the Grenfell Tower fire at Kensington Palace on September 20, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Ben Stansall - WPA Pool/Getty Images) Getty Images Meghan Markle launches cookbook in aid of Grenfell Tower survivors LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 20: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex embraces women at an event to mark the launch of a cookbook with recipes from a group of women affected by the Grenfell Tower fire at Kensington Palace on September 20, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Ben Stansall - WPA Pool/Getty Images) Getty Images

Ms Choucair explained how she had been traumatised by the experience.

“Luckily, for me I was not at home at the time of the fire but as I have said I had to stand helplessly as I saw my home with my family in it burn, killing every one of them,” she said.

“As such I did not suffer physical burns and injuries that can be seen. Instead, I have been ripped apart inside and feel that I am nothing but an empty shell, with no life left inside.”