British Prime Minister Theresa May has ordered a full public inquiry into the inferno that swept through the public housing block within an hour Wednesday morning. The fire was reported at 01:16 AM (local time) yesterday.
"This is a multi-ethnic, multicultural, diverse community that just didn't get served by the people representing them". But they expected the death toll to rise significantly.
The fire reportedly trapped many residents in the building - dozens are still missing. Almost 80 others are now being treated in hospital, 17 of whom are believed to be in a critical condition.
The Melbourne Fire Brigade's post-incident analysis of the Lacrosse fire said that the sprinkler system operating within the apartments had held the fire in check.
"Sadly I can confirm that the number of people that have died is now 17", London police commander Stuart Cundy told reporters.
Rydon, the firm that carried out the refurbishment work, said the project "met all required building regulations", in its latest statement following the fire. "The severity and the heat of the fire would mean it is an absolute miracle for anyone to be left alive", Cotton told Sky News.
"The fire is now out, there are small pockets of smoldering".
The Prime Minister said the inquiry, which is expected to cost several million pounds, was needed to ensure "this bad tragedy is properly investigated".
Ms Cotton suggested it "will take weeks before this building is truly cleared and searched properly" as parts of it still need to be shored up and there is a risk of falling debris.
The London-raised singer was pictured lending her support at the scene in West London, arranging bin bags of clothing, food and other essentials that have been donated to help those affected by the fire, reports mirror.co.uk.
Blimp Catches Fire and Crashes
Open's official Twitter released a quick statement on the crash. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the pilot at this time". Twitter users captured some of the crash, adding that they saw a person evacuating with a parachute.
The Syrian Solidarity Campaign said on its Facebook webpage that Mohammed Al Haj Ali, a refugee from Syria, was one of those who had been killed.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip have paid tribute to the firefighters whose bravery prevented a greater loss of life in the high-rise fire. She also said sniffer dogs were being used in a bid to locate bodies.
Anthony Blakemore, a Londoner who like Adele visited Grenfell Tower last night, said on Twitter that "the strength of the community spirit restored my faith in humanity".
"Hundreds of thousands of people in our country live in tower blocks, very high-rise tower blocks".
Volunteers in Glasgow - 550 kilometres (350 miles) away - sent a truck laden with nappies and other supplies. "But even if they are, smoke and fire will spread through the joints and connections", he said.
The tower block was recently refurbished at a cost of £8.7 million, with work completed in May previous year.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, but experts have said that it was highly unusual because of the speed with which the tower was engulfed in flame. "No fire alarms went off and there were no warning".
The building, dating back to 1974, is owned by the local government council and houses some of the poorer sections of the working class in the north Kensington area of London, one of London's richest boroughs in terms of funding and amenities.
A tenants' group had complained for years about the risk of a fire in the building.
Some residents threw a baby and other children out the window to escape the flames.
Comments