UK - Huge fire rips through Grenfell Tower, Latimer Road, White City, London, June 2017

[Ellmau]

A survivor talks

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40419358

- video: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-40425109/grenfell-survivor-makes-first-return-to-tower

 

[hayaletcatcher]

Deleted. Sorry!

 

[CoverMeCagney]

The final Grenfell Tower fire toll will not be known until at least the end of the year, with 80 people currently presumed dead, police say. The vast majority of those who died were said to be in 23 of the North Kensington building's 129 flats. Police said some residents had tried to move up the building to escape the flames and it is thought a number of people may have ended up in one flat.

The 14 June fire destroyed 151 homes, most in the tower block, but also a number of surrounding properties.

The opening of inquests into seven of the victims heard a six-month-old baby was found dead in her mother's arms.

At least one person from 106 of the 129 flats at Grenfell Tower has been contacted in an attempt to identify those who might have died, police said. Some of the victims have been identified from a variety of sources including 999 calls - 26 calls received came from inside the 23 flats where the majority of people are thought to have died.

They said "every imaginable source" of information "from government agencies to fast food companies" had been used by officers as part of their inquiries to identify the victims.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40434741

 

[Ironside]

I suppose they asked Just Eat, Dominos and places like that for data on any deliveries to the tower. Very clever detective work.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ellmau]

The final Grenfell Tower fire toll will not be known until at least the end of the year, with 80 people currently presumed dead, police say. The vast majority of those who died were said to be in 23 of the North Kensington building's 129 flats. Police said some residents had tried to move up the building to escape the flames and it is thought a number of people may have ended up in one flat.

The 14 June fire destroyed 151 homes, most in the tower block, but also a number of surrounding properties.

The opening of inquests into seven of the victims heard a six-month-old baby was found dead in her mother's arms.

At least one person from 106 of the 129 flats at Grenfell Tower has been contacted in an attempt to identify those who might have died, police said. Some of the victims have been identified from a variety of sources including 999 calls - 26 calls received came from inside the 23 flats where the majority of people are thought to have died.

They said "every imaginable source" of information "from government agencies to fast food companies" had been used by officers as part of their inquiries to identify the victims.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40434741

From the link:

The officer said 18 people connected to those 106 flats are dead or missing presumed dead but "it is a terrible reality that there are 23 flats where despite huge investigative efforts, we have been unable to trace anyone alive who lived there.

"At this stage, we must presume, that no-one in those 23 flats survived, that includes anyone who lived there or was visiting them."

 

[Ellmau]

Retired judge named as enquiry chair: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40438701

 

[gregjrichards]

Retired judge named as enquiry chair: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40438701

They were talking on the Sky News newspaper review tonight and they said he was a controversial choice due to this case:

"In one 2014 case, Moore-Bick said Westminster council could rehouse Titina Nzolameso, a single mother with five children, more than 50 miles away in Milton Keynes. He ruled that it was not necessary for Westminster to explain in detail what other accommodation was available and that it could take “a broad range of factors” into account, including the pressures on the council, in deciding what housing was available.

In April 2015, the supreme court reversed his ruling, pointing out that the council had not asked “any questions aimed at assessing how practicable it would be for the family to move out of the area”.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...tower-inquiry-judge-retired-martin-moore-bick

I just hope the enquiry provides the true facts of the disaster and lessons truly are learned from it. This tragedy cannot happen again.

 

[Ironside]

I hope this doesn't end up like the child abuse inquiry where nobody is considered "pure" enough causing judge after judge to resign meaning nothing happens for years.

 

[gregjrichards]

"Survivors of the tragic Grenfell Tower fire may be at risk of Alzheimer's disease, a leading expert has warned.

Professor Chris Exley, of Keele University, has warned of the health dangers that may occur in future as a result of inhaling the fumes from the burning cladding which was full of aluminium.

A substantial link has existed between the everyday metal used on the panels and the most common form of dementia for decades.

For years Professor Exley has argued that the neurotoxin can build-up in the brain, eventually causing contamination that may lead to the most common form of dementia."

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...survivors-risk-ALZHEIMER-S.html#ixzz4lPCnTjOd

More awful news what a tragedy.

 

[gregjrichards]

I hope this doesn't end up like the child abuse inquiry where nobody is considered "pure" enough causing judge after judge to resign meaning nothing happens for years.

I hope this doesn't happen too. There cannot be a whitewash the families of the victims deserve to know the whole truth of how and why their loved ones died and the steps being taken to prevent a future tragedy.

 

[Ironside]

I don't mean a whitewash. I'm talking about people who are meant to care about the victims delaying it endlessly with their moaning that the judge isn't good enough.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[CoverMeCagney]

Sad, but I thought this could happen:

A man has been arrested on suspicion of lying that his wife and son had died in the Grenfell Tower fire.
The 52-year-old, who is alleged to have tried to gain money and housing in the aftermath of the west London blaze, is being held on suspicion of fraud.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40449956

 

[Ironside]

Not one bit surprised. What an idiot though!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[gregjrichards]

Sad, but I thought this could happen:

A man has been arrested on suspicion of lying that his wife and son had died in the Grenfell Tower fire.
The 52-year-old, who is alleged to have tried to gain money and housing in the aftermath of the west London blaze, is being held on suspicion of fraud.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40449956

Disgusting and disgraceful!

 

[gregjrichards]

"Fireproof cladding planned for Grenfell Tower was not used and swapped for a more flammable to save £293,000, leaked emails revealed today.

Kensington housing officials demanded ‘good costs’ to satisfy a council boss before the £8.6million refurbishment believed to have contributed to the worst fire in Britain for decades.

The cladding encasing the block where 80 people died was described as sparking like a 'firelighter' on a barbecue when a fridge exploded.

But minutes of meetings, price outlines and other correspondence before its installation reveal fire resistant zinc was swapped to a cheaper aluminium version.

The leaked documents made little reference to safety concerns, according to The Times.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ng-downgraded-save-300-000.html#ixzz4lT3AE45x

 

[gregjrichards]

"Cladding used on one of Queensland's biggest hospitals may be a fire risk, the state government has found following an audit prompted by London's Grenfell Tower blaze.

Housing and public works minister Mick de Brenni has announced that potentially non-fire retardant cladding was found on Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital.

Mr de Brenni on Friday said risk of a fire incident at the hospital was low, and he expected to receive preliminary testing results in the coming days.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...spital-Grenfell-Tower-fire.html#ixzz4lT4NdAwF

 

[gregjrichards]

"A woman who fled from her Grenfell Tower flat following last month's devastating fire there is still having rent deducted by the council, according to a campaign group representing survivors.

Yvette Williams, a coordinator for Justice 4 Grenfell, said the survivor made the discovery when she obtained a new bank card and saw her statement."

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/outrage-grenfell-victim-reveals-still-10719443

 

[gregjrichards]

"Evacuated Grenfell Tower victims won't be charged rent for the flats they are unable to live in.

It has taken two weeks for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea council to come to the decision, at the fury of local residents.

Three buildings close to charred block have been without hot water since the neighbourhood's boiler, located beneath Grenfell Tower, was destroyed in the fire.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...renfell-residents-pay-rent.html#ixzz4lfvJZzFC

This is just an absolute farce it is unbelievable.

 

[gregjrichards]

"The Government has revealed that 181 tower blocks in 51 local authority areas have failed fire cladding safety tests.

The Department for Communities and Local Government's revealed that so far 100 per cent of buildings have not passed amid a national safety operation to identify buildings with cladding like that used on the Grenfell tower block in north Kensington.

Councils named include Portsmouth and Brent along with Camden, Manchester, Plymouth and Hounslow as local authorities with buildings that failed tests.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-areas-fail-cladding-tests.html#ixzz4lgijIMwX
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

 

[Elainera]

Yes, a farce, greg. I'm stunned. Good things have been done since the fire, but a lot of incompetency is also evident. I hope all this will lead to much needed changes. There seem to be people in power positions that shouldn't be.

100% of the buildings tested have not passed the test? My God :facepalm: The UK has a big job ahead of them now. Are all those residents being evacuated now?

ETA: thanks for keeping updating this thread, greg!