- Police say they may never be able to identify the bodies from the Grenfell Tower fire. At least 30 people died in fire. A further 69 were injured, with 17 in critical condition. Nothing suggests the fire was started deliberately. Emergency services are searching the building for the third day. Authorities say it is unlikely they will find any more survivors. Theresa May ordered a full public inquiry. Specialist sniffer dogs are on the scene to identify victims in the ashes. The Queen has issued a statement offering condolences to victims and praise to firefighters. Families and friends make desperate appeals for people trapped in building.
LONDON – The Metropolitan Police confirmed on Friday afternoon that at least 30 people died in the catastrophic fire that ripped through a 24-story residential tower block in west London on Wednesday.
The death toll is expected to rise while emergency services are spending a third day searching for bodies inside Grenfell Tower. Police said they may never be able to identify all the bodies of those who died. Sixty-nine others were injured, with 17 in critical care.
The cause of the fire is not yet known, but police do not believe it was started on purpose. “Based on what we know, there is nothing to suggest at this time that the fire was started deliberately,” authorities said in Friday’s press conference.
The fire has now been extinguished, police said, after the London Fire Brigade was first called to the scene after midnight on Wednesday.
Several hundred people would have been in the block when the fire broke out, according to Kensington and Chelsea council.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan declared it as a "major incident," while Commissioner Dany Cotton told reporters: "In my 29 years as a firefighter, I have never, ever seen anything on this scale."
Prime Minister Theresa May will visit victims of the fire in hospital later on Friday after she was criticised for not meeting local residents yesterday.
Who is to blame?
Prime Minister Theresa May ordered a full public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower disaster and said it was right that "this terrible tragedy is properly investigated." It follows her visiting the scene in west London on Thursday morning.
"We need to know what happened. We need to have an explanation for this. We owe that to the families, to the people who have lost loved ones, friends, and the homes in which they lived," the PM added. "People deserve answers, the inquiry will give them."
However, May and several of her closest cabinet ministers and aides are being blamed for the fire:
- An investigation could also look into the role of May's newly-appointed Chief of Staff Gavin Barwell. The former housing minister promised a review of building regulations covering fire safety, but was never published. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson also faces questions over his decision to slash London's fire service while being the Mayor of London. Johnson presided over the closure of 10 fire stations and the removal of 27 fire engines, despite previously promising not to remove them. Residents group Grenfell Action Group blogged about the incident and said it had "posted numerous warnings in recent years about the very poor fire safety standards." It added: "All our warnings fell on deaf ears." Kensington and Chelsea council - Cladding installed during a £10 million renovation of the building last year is likely to be a particular area of focus. Fire experts believe it could have contributed to the rapid spread of the flames. Fire safety advice and the tower block's fire alarm could also be areas of interest. Residents said they were told to stay in their flats and some said they could not hear the alarms.
May has also been heavily criticised for her approach towards the victims. May and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn both visited the scene of the Grenfell Tower disaster on Thursday, but many have pointed to the differences in their time at the site.