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London fire: six confirmed dead, 20 more critical after tower block blaze – latest updates | |
(35 minutes later) | |
12.32pm BST | |
12:32 | |
PM 'deeply saddened' | |
Number 10 says Theresa May is “deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life in Grenfell Tower”. | |
The prime minister has called for a meeting of the civil contingencies secretariat at 4pm. | |
Number 10 statement on the Grenfell Tower fire: pic.twitter.com/Pbxlmp5ToO | |
12.29pm BST | |
12:29 | |
Police and Fire Minister Nick Hurd has expressed his condolences to the families affected and thanks to the emergency services. In a statement, he said: | |
“My thoughts are with the residents and families of everyone caught up in this dreadful event. London Fire Brigade and the Metropolitan Police have confirmed there have been fatalities and I extend my condolences to their loved ones. | |
“The search and rescue operation is still going on and I wish to commend the brave actions of firefighters and other emergency responders who arrived at the scene within minutes and have been at the scene throughout the night. | |
“I should like to stress that this is an ongoing incident and I would urge anyone in the area to stay away from the scene and follow the directions of the emergency services.” | |
12.26pm BST | |
12:26 | |
Contractors said refurbishment met fire regulations | |
Rydon, the contractors who carried out the £9.7m refurbishment of Grenfell Tower, insisted that it met fire and health and safety standards. | |
In a statement it said: | |
We are shocked to hear of the devastating fire at Grenfell Tower and our immediate thoughts are with those that have been affected by the incident, their families, relatives and friends. | |
Rydon completed a refurbishment of the building in the summer of 2016 for KCTMO (Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation) on behalf of the Council, which met all required building control, fire regulation and health & safety standards. We will cooperate with the relevant authorities and emergency services and fully support their enquiries into the causes of this fire at the appropriate time. | |
Given the ongoing nature of the incident and the tragic events overnight, it would be inappropriate for us to speculate or comment further at this stage. | |
12.23pm BST | |
12:23 | |
Holly Watt | |
Christopher Miers, an architect and the founder of the construction dispute resolution group Probyn Miers, said that he was surprised how fast the Grenfell Tower blaze had spread. | |
He said that the panels on the outside of the building should not have been able to catch fire, and that fire compartmentation and firebreaks should also have stop the spread of flames. He said: | |
“Nowadays, in the UK, we don’t use materials with this degree of combustibility. They are sandwich panels which are two sheets of aluminium with a core, and the core can be made of different materials. In other parts of the world, in the Middle East and in China, the core material was still being made of combustible plastic product, but that is no longer permitted and has not been permitted in the UK for a long time. The panels are not likely to have a combustible element to them. It’s much more likely that the firespread is not the panels themselves, but it’s more likely to have spread by other means.” | |
Miers said Grenfell Tower appeared to have undergone fairly standard renovations: “The exterior of this building was clad in a rainscreen cladding system. What you see on the outside are aluminium composite panels. Behind that there is a void, to allow air to circulate, and behind that again is normally insulation.” | |
Miers said the renovation would have been carried out to improve the insulation of the building. | |
“There are very specific regulations which limit the combustibility of the materials. Once a building is over 18m, all the materials in the exterior have to be of limited combustibility. One would expect that we will find that the exterior walling itself is not what we would think of as combustible. Having said that, most materials in intense fires can ultimately can show some degree of burning. Even when we think of material as of limited combustibility, in certain extreme situations, it can still burn.” | |
12.19pm BST | |
12:19 | |
Haroon Siddique | |
Graham Fieldhouse, a fire and safety expert, said “prime facie the cladding has been the cause of the spreading [of the fire] up the building”. | |
He said this was based on the speed at which the fire spread, which he should not have happened so quickly along concrete. But Fieldhouse said questions also needed to be asked about fire doors and warning systems. | |
Speaking to BBC News, he said: | |
“People reported that they came out of their flats minutes after the fire started on the fourth floor and it was already smoke filled ....Were the fire doors working properly?... Is that one reason that caused smoke to get into the means of escape?” | |
Fieldhouse said the fire should have been contained within the flat where it broke out for half an hour, which would have given people the opportunity to escape. | |
“There are loads of questions that still need to be answered. It [the fire] should be contained first of all in [the] flat of origin, then the next containment level should be fire doors, all the escape routes, the stairwell ...and if these two things are done then these people have got time to get out if they need to.” | |
12.15pm BST | |
12:15 | |
64 people injured, including 20 in critical care | |
The number of people injured in the fire has increased to 64, including 20 in a critical condition, according to an update from the London Ambulance Service. | |
Director of Operations Paul Woodrow said: | |
“Following this morning’s fire at Grenfell Tower, West London, we have treated and taken 64 patients to six hospitals across London, where 20 people are currently in critical care. Our thoughts are with everyone affected. | |
“Over 100 of our medics have been working hard to respond to this incident, including ambulance crews, advanced paramedics, advanced trauma teams from London’s Air Ambulance and those staff managing the incident in our special operations centre. Our hazardous area response teams are also on scene, who carry specialist equipment including breathing apparatus. We’ve been treating patients for a range of injuries, as well as for smoke inhalation.” | |
Our latest statement on #GrenfellTower. We have treated & taken 64 patients to 6 hospitals. 20 are in critical care https://t.co/5IZS0JeRW3 pic.twitter.com/Ccd6dsRdpH | |
12.11pm BST | |
12:11 | |
Sarah Marsh | |
Five hospitals in London are receiving patients, including a special burns unit at Chelsea and Westminster. | |
Guys and St Thomas’ said that it was treating four patients in A&E, one of whom has been admitted. | |
The Royal Free Hospital published a statement on it’s website saying it was also treating patients. In a statement it said: “Our A&E department is extremely busy and we would urge people to attend only if it is an emergency. Please use your local walk-in centre or GP if possible for all non-emergency issues.” | |
St Mary’s Hospital is treating 16 patients, 3 of whom are in a critical condition. Charing Cross is treating 4 people, according to the BBC’s Lucy Todd. | |
St Mary's Hospital is treating 16 patients, 3 of whom are in a critical condition. Charing Cross is treating 4 people - none are critical. | |
12.07pm BST | |
12:07 | |
David Collins of the Grenfell Tower residents’ association said residents’ concerns about fire safety had been ignored. | |
Speaking to BBC News he said: | |
We repeatedly reported concerns to the tenant management organisation of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, including fire safety concerns which were not investigated during the regeneration works. Concerns over locations of boilers, concerns about escape, concerns about fire escape lighting, the list goes on. I spoke to councillors and they refused to investigate. They wouldn’t believe that the residents were concerned. 90% of residents signed an independent petition asking for there to be an investigation into the organisation that runs this building because they were so incompetent. And the council turned it down. | |
David Collins of #GrenfellTower residents association gives a shocking account of the local councils refusal to heed residents safety fears. pic.twitter.com/cC47EWBUer | |
Updated | |
at 12.13pm BST | |
11.56am BST | 11.56am BST |
11:56 | 11:56 |
The Guardian’s graphics team takes a closer look at what happened at Grenfell Tower in this visual guide. | The Guardian’s graphics team takes a closer look at what happened at Grenfell Tower in this visual guide. |
Updated | Updated |
at 11.58am BST | at 11.58am BST |
11.55am BST | 11.55am BST |
11:55 | 11:55 |
Julian Redhead, medical director at Imperial College healthcare NHS trust, said the majority of those injured were suffering from smoke inhalation. | |
He asked members of the public to only attend to the trust’s A&E departments in an emergency. | He asked members of the public to only attend to the trust’s A&E departments in an emergency. |
Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospital has said it is treating four of the 50 people wounded in the fire. | Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospital has said it is treating four of the 50 people wounded in the fire. |
Following the fire in West London this morning, four patients have been treated in A&E at St Thomas’, one of whom has been admitted 1/2 | Following the fire in West London this morning, four patients have been treated in A&E at St Thomas’, one of whom has been admitted 1/2 |
Updated | Updated |
at 12.16pm BST | |
11.45am BST | 11.45am BST |
11:45 | 11:45 |
Angus Law, from the Building Research Establishment Centre for Fire Safety Engineering at the University of Edinburgh, says buildings regulations are in place to prevent this kind of fire. | Angus Law, from the Building Research Establishment Centre for Fire Safety Engineering at the University of Edinburgh, says buildings regulations are in place to prevent this kind of fire. |
In a statement he said: | In a statement he said: |
Early media reports suggest that this event has similarities with other fires that have occurred recently around the world; it appears that the external cladding has significantly contributed to the spread of fire at Grenfell Tower. | Early media reports suggest that this event has similarities with other fires that have occurred recently around the world; it appears that the external cladding has significantly contributed to the spread of fire at Grenfell Tower. |
The UK’s regulatory framework for tall residential buildings is intended to prevent the spread of fire between floors and between apartments. If spread of fire does occur, as has happened at Grenfell Tower, the consequences are often catastrophic. | The UK’s regulatory framework for tall residential buildings is intended to prevent the spread of fire between floors and between apartments. If spread of fire does occur, as has happened at Grenfell Tower, the consequences are often catastrophic. |
The details and causes of what happened at Grenfell Tower will emerge over coming days, weeks and years. The BRE Centre for Fire Safety Engineering at the University of Edinburgh will provide any support and expertise that we can to this ongoing investigation. | The details and causes of what happened at Grenfell Tower will emerge over coming days, weeks and years. The BRE Centre for Fire Safety Engineering at the University of Edinburgh will provide any support and expertise that we can to this ongoing investigation. |
Updated | Updated |
at 11.49am BST | at 11.49am BST |
11.38am BST | 11.38am BST |
11:38 | 11:38 |
Jamie Grierson | Jamie Grierson |
Paul Littlejohn, friend Justine Bell and dog Rollo, who have been evacuated from Paul's flat in a building next to the tower. pic.twitter.com/JJJOmDOU5f | Paul Littlejohn, friend Justine Bell and dog Rollo, who have been evacuated from Paul's flat in a building next to the tower. pic.twitter.com/JJJOmDOU5f |
Paul Littlejohn, 41, a Big Issue seller, lives in a smaller block next to Grenfell Tower and said he witnessed “terrible things”. | Paul Littlejohn, 41, a Big Issue seller, lives in a smaller block next to Grenfell Tower and said he witnessed “terrible things”. |
He said: “There were people sliding down sheets tied together trying to get down from at least the ninth floor. There were windows being blown out. We saw fridges falling.” | |
Littlejohn, who has lived next to the block for two years, said he grabbed what he could and left home at about 2am with his friend, Justine Bell, who was staying with him, and his dog Rollo. | Littlejohn, who has lived next to the block for two years, said he grabbed what he could and left home at about 2am with his friend, Justine Bell, who was staying with him, and his dog Rollo. |
The pair loaded Littlejohn’s television, clothing, food and water into a trolley they found and have been wandering the streets since they left. | The pair loaded Littlejohn’s television, clothing, food and water into a trolley they found and have been wandering the streets since they left. |
He said: “It was horrible. Everyone was so confused, so upset, so distraught. Why did this happen?” | He said: “It was horrible. Everyone was so confused, so upset, so distraught. Why did this happen?” |
Updated | Updated |
at 12.18pm BST | |
11.31am BST | 11.31am BST |
11:31 | 11:31 |
Sarah Marsh | Sarah Marsh |
Keith, 42, a former resident at Grenfell Tower said the fire alarms didn’t work properly when he lived there. | Keith, 42, a former resident at Grenfell Tower said the fire alarms didn’t work properly when he lived there. |
I grew up in Grenfell Tower; it was my home until I joined the army at 16. It was only four years ago that my mum sold her flat there and moved in with my sister. She’s now living up in Watford. | I grew up in Grenfell Tower; it was my home until I joined the army at 16. It was only four years ago that my mum sold her flat there and moved in with my sister. She’s now living up in Watford. |
When I lived there we’d had a few fires over the year – nothing on a large scale, but the fire alarms did not work properly. If you were in your flat even with the telly off you wouldn’t have heard anything. It was so quiet. After a fire on the sixth floor when we lived there, my mum had asked me to speak to the other leaseholders on her behalf. It was a small fire but afterwards we would try and engage with the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation but nothing changed with them. | When I lived there we’d had a few fires over the year – nothing on a large scale, but the fire alarms did not work properly. If you were in your flat even with the telly off you wouldn’t have heard anything. It was so quiet. After a fire on the sixth floor when we lived there, my mum had asked me to speak to the other leaseholders on her behalf. It was a small fire but afterwards we would try and engage with the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation but nothing changed with them. |
Updated | Updated |
at 11.37am BST | at 11.37am BST |
11.28am BST | 11.28am BST |
11:28 | 11:28 |
Holly Watt | Holly Watt |
The minutes of a board meeting held in November last year by the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (KCTMO) confirm that during the Grenfell Tower refurbishment, residents were told to “stay put” during a fire. | The minutes of a board meeting held in November last year by the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (KCTMO) confirm that during the Grenfell Tower refurbishment, residents were told to “stay put” during a fire. |
The minutes also said that “further progress has been made with the installation programme of hard-wired automatic smoke alarms in tenanted dwellings”. | The minutes also said that “further progress has been made with the installation programme of hard-wired automatic smoke alarms in tenanted dwellings”. |
Updated | Updated |
at 11.29am BST | at 11.29am BST |