Baby found dead in mother's arms in stairwell of Grenfell Tower

Little Leena Belkadi and her eight-year-old sister Malak Belkadi both died from inhalation of fire fumes in the tower tragedy, Westminster Coroner's Court was told.

Coroner's officer Eric Sword said Leena's body was "found in her mother's arms" in a stairwell between the 19th and 20th floor of the building.

Malak was found alive on the 20th floor but later died at St Mary's Hospital, where she was taken alongside her younger sister Taxmin, aged six.

Their mother Farah Hamdan and father Omar Belkad also died in the blaze and inquests into their deaths have been opened and adjourned.

The tragic news about the family, who lived on the 20th floor of the high-rise building in west London, comes as police reveal the final death toll "will not be known this year". A total of 80 people are dead or missing and presumed dead but it will be many months until the true figure is known, they said.

On Wednesday, Westminster coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox opened and adjourned the inquests of seven people including Leena and Malak.

The other victims whose inquests were opened included Syrian refugee Mohammed Al Haj Ali, previously named as Mohammad Alhajali.

The 23-year-old was the first fatality of the disaster to be formally identified by police.

His body was found outside the tower block and his preliminary cause of death was given as multiple injuries.