The sister of a Sudanese teacher who came to the UK as a refugee and died in Grenfell Tower has told the public inquiry into the disaster: “Our trust in this country has been destroyed.”

Hayat Elsanosi said her sister, Fathia Ali Ahmed Elsanosi, came to London and lived on the 23rd floor of the tower after her husband, who was in the military, was killed in suspicious circumstances.

“[She was] a refugee seeking security and safety after her struggle with the regime in Sudan where she and her children had been subject to harassment,” Elsanosi said. “She felt safe in London but because of the way she died this now feels like an illusion for us.”

The fourth day of the inquiry spotlighted the migrant families who called Grenfell home. Two families from Bangladesh and Eritrea who perished together in their flats were also remembered on a day when it was clear many of the bereaved are still struggling to come to terms with their loss.

Amid continued emotional scenes at the Millennium Gloucester hotel in South Kensington, Mohammed Hakim showed extraordinary bravery as he paid tribute to his mother, Rabia Begum, his father, Komru Miah, his sister, Husna Begum, and his two brothers, Mohammed Hanif and Mohammed Hamid, who died together on the 17th floor.

“As a result of this fire not only did I lose five members of my immediate family, but I have also been made an orphan,” he said. “I am extremely proud of my family for remaining close to each other in their last moments. I am extremely proud that my siblings did not leave my parents behind.”

In a contribution that the inquiry chairman, Sir Martin Moore-Bick, said took admirable courage, Hakim said that his 82-year-old father had suffered two strokes and a heart attack and had problems with mobility and that his siblings may have been able to escape.

Rabia Begum and her daughter Husna, who perished along with three other family members. Photograph: Unknown

“He should not have been on the 17th floor,” he said. “We complained about that numerous times. Mum, Dad, Hamid, Hanif, Husna, I love you always and miss you always. My beautiful family, you will never be forgotten.”

He had described how his father was born in Sylhet in Bangladesh and came to Britain in 1963, working as a tandoori chef. He would take his children to the parks around Chelsea and buy them more ice-cream than they could eat. He was a huge fan of Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger action movies and rated Sean Connery and Roger Moore as the best James Bonds.

“My father was a humble, loving, honest and kind man,” he said.

His mother was the most important person in his life, he said, adding: “I love you Mum, wherever you are in heaven.” His brother Mohammed Hamid had a capacity for “pure genius” one-line jokes, he recalled. “The world has lost a magnificent soul,” he said.

His sister was an intellectual who “marvelled at the universe”, he said.

There appeared to be fewer people at the public hearings than earlier in the week, with more empty chairs than full. But those who came also heard tributes to Amal Ahmedin, 35, who died on the 19th floor with her three-year-old daughter, Amaya, her husband Mohamednur Tuccu, 44, and her cousin Amna Mahmud Idris, 27, who was visiting.

Mohamednur Tuccu with and his three-year-old daughter Amaya. Photograph: Grenfell Tower Inquiry/PA

Winta Afwerki, Ahmedin’s sister, described how “she loved to have a good time, laugh and surround herself with positive amazing people”.

“We grew up sharing a room together,” she said. “Whenever I had a nightmare as a kid she would hold me so tight and squeeze out the nightmare.”

She said that was how she died, holding her young daughter. “That’s how they were when they were being burned alive,” she said, “holding each other so tight trying to squeeze the nightmare away.”

She added: “For the rest of my life I will never accept they are gone. I will continue planning Amaya’s life: what she will be doing on her 10th birthday, her 18th and 21st and the rest of her life. We will miss them so much.”

Ibrahim Toukou, the brother of Amal’s husband, Mohamednur Tuccu, began his tribute with a reading from the Qur’an and described how he and his brother had grown up together in Asmara, the capital of Eritrea.

He said his brother loved organising football matches and commentating on the action and also putting on drama productions for friends and family. He said that in his late teens, in 1989, Tuccu became an undercover agent working for freedom fighters opposing the Eritrean government and went to Sudan.

He was wanted by the Eritrean authorities and after a period in Nigeria he came to the UK and earned a BSc in genetics, and an MSc in bioinformatics. For the last 10 years of his life he had worked as a security guard for the PR company Red Consultancy.

“I will never forget how he was always smiling,” his brother said. “Everyone who knew him described him as kind and loving. His phrase was ‘don’t worry’. I dreamed of being together with our families and children. I wanted so badly to introduce Amaya to my daughter who is seven. My children do not know Mohamednur and his family have passed away. We have told the kids they have gone away on a trip. My mother is not accepting Mohamednur’s death. It’s hard for any of us to even think about it, never mind talk about it.”

A childhood photograph of Victoria King, right. Photograph: Grenfell Tower inquiry

His message was recorded; he said thinking about paying the tribute reminded him of going back to Grenfell Tower after the disaster and that was something he could not do.

Relatives of Victoria King, 71, and Alexandra Atala, who had previously said they did not want to participate, made a short contribution.

Victoria’s older sister, Penny Pearce, said she had lost touch with her sibling but had tracked her down to Grenfell, with the help of the Salvation Army. She was living there with her daughter Alexandra Atala, 40, in flat 172 on the 20th floor.

“If this had not been the case, no family member would have known they had perished,” she said. “They were and are still together and that is what is important. The fire was a tragedy for all of us.”