Grenfell Tower fire: Hero strangers save grandmother by carrying her down ten flights of stairs

A an elderly lady survived the devastating fire at the Grenfell Tower building in West London thanks to two neighbours who carried her outside from the tenth floor.

At least 17 people died when the devastating blaze engulfed the 24-storey block on 13 June. The death toll is expected to rise substantially.

Clarita Ghavim, 66, tried to flee, but struggled to leave her house due to thick smoke in the communal hallway.

"Three times I opened the door and the smoke pushed me inside, so I closed it again. I went to the kitchen window, and then back to the door again, and smoke was still coming in," she told the London Evening Standard.

"When I was in the kitchen, I managed to phone my son, but there were no words coming from my mouth. He knew there was a problem. I panicked and I opened the window, and I could see the fire was coming up towards me."

She then made another attempt to escape after covering her face with a tea towel. "I was lucky because when I opened the fire escape there were two men going down. They put me on their shoulders so I didn't have to walk. It was amazing," Ghavim explained.

She said she did not know the identity of the two people who rescued her.

Authorities have managed to extinguish the fire, which also left dozens injured and an unknown number of people missing.

Fire investigators are still looking for survivors. However, London's fire commissioner Dany Cotton said it would be a miracle if more people were found alive following the devastating high-rise blaze.

Posters of missing people have been put up throughout the north London neighborhood of North Kensington, AP reported.

Investigations into the causes of the fire and why it spread so quickly are due to take place. The building is managed by the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation.

Among other possibilities, it has been speculated that zinc panels recently bolted to the exterior of the building could be the reason why the fire rip through the fire so quickly.