Syrian Refugee Is Among Victims of London Firebr "Mohammed was on the phone for two hours with a friend in Syria, waiting to be rescued." "When the fire reached his flatbr on the 14th floor," the statement added, "Mohammed bid his friend goodbye, saying that the fire had reached him.br 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,br and was studying civil engineering at the University of West London.br Abdulaziz Almashi, who said he met Mr. Alhajali at a Syria Solidarity Campaignbr event, described him as "so lovely" and recalled how they became fast friends.br "It’s a big loss for me, for our friends and for Syria." Another of Mr. Alhajali’s brothers was also living in Britain,br but he had not seen most of his family for several years, as they are still in Syria.br 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.