The first victim of the horrific Grenfell fire has been named as Mohammed Alhajali – a Syrian refugee who came to Britain to seek a “better life”.

A friend of the victim, who was studying civil engineering at the University of the West London, said he lived on the 14th floor of the 24-storey west London tower block.

The 23-year-old sought to follow his brother Omar, who is currently being treated in hospital, down the stairs of the burning building, but was besieged by billows of smoke.

He is said to have been trapped on the floor for two hours while hundreds of firefighters sought to rescue residents, but failed to reach above the 13th floor.

His brother, a 25-year-old business student, managed to escape the tower block and is said to be recovering in Kings Cross hospital.

Grenfell tower fire Show all 42 1 /42 Grenfell tower fire Grenfell tower fire Local residents watch as Grenfell Tower is engulfed by fire Getty Images Grenfell tower fire London Fire Brigade said there has been a number of fatalities from the blaze Rex Features Grenfell tower fire The fire was first reported in the early hours of Wednesday and continued into the morning Rex Features Grenfell tower fire A local resident sees the fire over the rooftops @Ebajgora Grenfell tower fire A firefighter reacts at the scene of the blaze Getty Images Grenfell tower fire Residents watch as the blaze continues Getty Images Grenfell tower fire More than 200 firefighters have been fighting the blaze PA Grenfell tower fire London Mayor Sadiq Khan has declared the fire a major incident Getty Images Grenfell tower fire Police and fire services attempted to evacuate the concrete block of flats Getty Images Grenfell tower fire A woman runs to assist paramedics working at the fire at the Grenfell Tower Getty Images Grenfell tower fire Smoke rises from the building after a huge fire engulfed the 24 story Grenfell Tower in Latimer Road, West London in the early hours of Wednesday morning Getty Images Grenfell tower fire Fire fighters tackle the 24-storey building in West London Getty Images Grenfell tower fire Ambulances are stationed nearby Getty Images Grenfell tower fire Paramedics arrive with oxygen Getty Images Grenfell tower fire Emergency services believe it will take some time to establish the cause of the fire Grenfell tower fire Tens of people have been taken to five different hospitals across London Getty Images Grenfell tower fire A man comforts a boy after the tower block was severely damaged Reuters Grenfell tower fire Firefighters stand amid debris in a childrens playground nearby Reuters Grenfell tower fire Firefighters are stationed at the building Getty Images Grenfell tower fire Smoke engulfs Grenfell tower Rex Features Grenfell tower fire Lots of people donating water, food and clothing to St Clement's church for the residents of Grenfell Tower in Latimer Road Samuel Osborne Grenfell tower fire A man speaks to a fire fighter after a huge fire engulfed the 24 story Grenfell Tower in Latimer Road, West London Getty Images Grenfell tower fire According to the London Fire Brigade (LFB), 40 fire engines and 200 firefighters are working to put out the blaze. Residents in the tower were evacuated and a number of people were treated for a range of injuries EPA Grenfell tower fire A resident of Grenfell Tower is trapped as smoke billows from the window after a fire engulfed the building Getty Images Grenfell tower fire Members of the emergency services work at the scene of a huge blaze which engulfed Grenfell Tower, a residential tower block in Latimer Road Getty Images Grenfell tower fire According to the London Fire Brigade (LFB), 40 fire engines and 200 firefighters are working to put out the blaze EPA Grenfell tower fire Fire fighters tackle the building after a huge fire engulfed the 24 story Grenfell Tower in Latimer Road, West London Getty Images Grenfell tower fire The burnt facade of Grenfell Tower, the night after the fire in Latimer Road, West London REUTERS/Neil Hall Grenfell tower fire Local residents gather at a community centre near Grenfell Tower in Latimer Road REUTERS/Toby Melville Grenfell tower fire A resident in a nearby building watches smoke rise from Grenfell Tower in Latimer Road, West London AP Grenfell tower fire Police and rescue services operate near the fire at Grenfell Tower, a 24-storey apartment block in Latimer Road EPA Grenfell tower fire A man stands amid debris on the A40 after a serious fire in a tower block at Latimer Road in West London REUTERS/Toby Melville Grenfell tower fire A view of the empty A40 highway after it was closed in both directions, due to the proximity of the fire at Grenfell Tower block in Latimer Road EPA Grenfell tower fire Smoke rises from the building after a huge fire engulfed the 24 storey residential Grenfell Tower block in Latimer Road, West London Getty Images Grenfell tower fire Bodies are removed from the scene after a fire engulfed the 24-storey Grenfell Tower in west London Rick Findler/PA Wire Grenfell tower fire Bodies are removed from the scene after a fire engulfed the 24-storey Grenfell Tower in west London Rick Findler/PA Wire Grenfell tower fire Provisions on tables at the Westway Sports Centre close to the scene after a fire engulfed the 24-storey Grenfell Tower in west London Jack Hardy/PA Grenfell tower fire Beds are laid out in the Westway Sports Centre close to the scene after a fire engulfed the 24-storey Grenfell Tower in west London Jack Hardy/PA Wire Grenfell tower fire A pile of donated clothes, sleeping bags and water lie next to a police cordon near the burning the 24 storey residential Grenfell Tower block in Latimer Road, West London Getty Images Grenfell tower fire Signs asking for donations are seen outside the Notting Hill methodist Chruch Getty Images Grenfell tower fire Smoke rises from the building after a huge fire engulfed the 24 storey residential Grenfell Tower block in Latimer Road, West London Getty Images Grenfell tower fire A man is rescued by fire fighters after a huge fire engulfed the 24 storey residential Grenfell Tower block in Latimer Road, West London Getty

Describing his friend as “kind, charitable and full of passion for his family”, Abdulaziz Almashi, said: “He survived Assad, he survived the war, only to be killed in a tower block in London.”

Mr Almashi, co-founder of the Syria Solidarity Campaign, met Mr Alhajali whilst working for the organisation, which promotes freedom, peace and democracy in Syria.

“When the fire reached his flat on the 14th floor, Mohammed bid his friend goodbye, saying that the fire had reached him,” the organisation said.

“Mohammed undertook a dangerous journey to flee war and death in Syria, only to meet it here in the UK, in his own home.

“Mohammed came to this country for safety and the UK failed to protect him.

“We absolutely agree that a thorough investigation into Building Regulations should take place immediately.”

The brothers escaped from Syria’s southern city of Daraa – the birthplace of the Syrian uprising against Assad – three years ago and were given asylum in Britain.

The Syrian Solidarity Campaign expressed their grief at the news, writing on its Facebook page: “RIP Mohammed Al Haj Ali. A Syrian refugee in the UK, Mohammed passed away in the #Grenfell tower fire yesterday.

“We are heartbroken for his family, who thought he had found safety in the UK. To Allah we belong and to him we shall return.”

The charity made an appeal for the brothers yesterday, saying: “Please pray for our brothers Omar Alhajali and Mohammed Alhajali, two Syrian refugees. They were in the building fire in London yesterday. Both were set to come to our Iftar this Saturday.

“Omar was found in the hospital and he is in stable condition but his brother Mohamed is still missing and his family do not know his whereabouts.”

Mirna Suleiman, a friend of the victim, also voiced her sadness on Facebook, saying: “This beautiful soul was lost today ... as long as many others. His story touched me personally because he had escaped death from Syria and came to the UK to find a new life.”

She added: “We in the UK are not prepared for major incidents. We think it will never happen to us. We’re good at putting loads of rules and regulations and making people pay service charge and housing tax but we’re not good at being practical and planning for the worst.”