The family of a 78-year-old grandmother who died in the Grenfell Tower fire have described the pain of finally identifying her as a victim.
Ligaya Moore moved to London from the Philippines in 1974 and married a British man, Jim Moore, who died several years before the fire, her relatives said in a statement.
She had been living on the 21st floor of Grenfell Tower when it was destroyed by an inferno on June 14.
(Infographic from PA graphic)
Nearly four months after the deadly blaze, she was formally identified by her loved ones.
A family statement released through the Metropolitan Police said: “Forty-three years ago, Aunt Ligaya, DITE, as we fondly called her, lived her dream – to live and work in London.
“She endured being away with family – not able to attend her mother’s funeral – but in exchange of all the loneliness and homesickness, she met the love of her life, Jim Moore, a British national, had a new family, acquired new friends, and built a new life in London.
“But the dream turned into nightmare on that fateful night of June 14, when the Grenfell Tower was consumed in flames. At this time, she was already living by herself in this building, as her husband … passed away several years back.
“The jolly, bubbly person, the lady who loves to dance and who laughed her heart out, succumbed to a fire which turned her laughter into silence.
“And after four months of waiting, the news of her identification came. And even if my family prepared for the worst, the pain is as painful as the first time we heard that Ligaya was one of the missing.”
Police believe the death toll to be around 80 people, but say it could be lower than this (Rick Findler/PA)
The family thanked the police for their support during the months they were forced to wait until they could identify her remains.
Mrs Moore is the 67th victim of the fire to be formally identified.
Police believe the death toll to be around 80 people, but recently indicated the total could be lower than this.
Nenita Bunggay, Mrs Moore’s best friend, also paid tribute to her, saying: “Ligaya was a jolly and energetic person, she was like my mother and was my best friend. We always spent our time together and she will be greatly missed.”