FRIENDS of two teenage girls killed in a fire gathered at their school to grieve.

Hanin Kua, 14, and her sister Basma, 13, were killed when the blaze swept through their home in Neasden, north west London in the early hours of Saturday.

Their mother Muna Elmufatish, 41, and little brothers Mustafa and Yehya, aged five and two, also died in the fire.

Father Bassam Kua, 51, and 16-year-old daughter Nur escaped from the house but remained in hospital – the Metropolitan Police last night said he was in a stable condition while she was described as critical.

Station manager Glen Gorman, from the London Fire Brigade, said 30 firefighters battled against “very intense heat and smoke”.

He added: “It was a very difficult situation to deal with.

“And while they were dealing with that they managed to prevent the fire from spreading to the adjoining property and prevented further injury or loss of life.”

A London Ambulance Service spokeswoman said four of the children and their mother were found dead at the scene.

Medics tried to resuscitate five-year-old Mustafa, who was in cardiac arrest but could not save him.

Tearful girls from the Crest Girl’s Academy where the sisters studied paid tribute to them by leaving flowers at the school.

Bev Bell, principal teacher at Crest Academy, said: “This is the focal point of the community.

“A lot of the girls won’t know where the house was so we felt that we needed to open up today so they could come and grieve with their friends.”