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| London fire: Crews work through night at tower block | London fire: Crews work through night at tower block |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Firefighters have worked through the night to dampen the deadly fire at a west London block of flats that killed 12 people and left many more missing. | Firefighters have worked through the night to dampen the deadly fire at a west London block of flats that killed 12 people and left many more missing. |
| Flames could still be seen inside the tower block as crews used lights to search the building floor by floor. | Flames could still be seen inside the tower block as crews used lights to search the building floor by floor. |
| Sixty-five people were rescued after fire ripped through Grenfell Tower in north Kensington on Wednesday morning. | Sixty-five people were rescued after fire ripped through Grenfell Tower in north Kensington on Wednesday morning. |
| Police have warned the number of deaths is expected to rise, while PM Theresa May has promised a full investigation. | Police have warned the number of deaths is expected to rise, while PM Theresa May has promised a full investigation. |
| Thirty-four people remain in hospital - 18 of whom are in a critical condition. | Thirty-four people remain in hospital - 18 of whom are in a critical condition. |
| Firefighters were called to the residential tower at 00:54 BST on Wednesday, at a time when "several hundred" people were thought to have been inside. | Firefighters were called to the residential tower at 00:54 BST on Wednesday, at a time when "several hundred" people were thought to have been inside. |
| The tower had around 120 flats. The cause of the fire remains unknown. | The tower had around 120 flats. The cause of the fire remains unknown. |
| Dozens of people left homeless by the fire have spent the night in makeshift rescue centres, while well-wishers have been signing a wall of condolence near the site. | Dozens of people left homeless by the fire have spent the night in makeshift rescue centres, while well-wishers have been signing a wall of condolence near the site. |
| Photographs have been left alongside messages for loved ones. | Photographs have been left alongside messages for loved ones. |
| The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea council said it had placed 44 households so far in emergency accommodation. | The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea council said it had placed 44 households so far in emergency accommodation. |
| Cladding fires | Cladding fires |
| Through the night, people have been donating food, clothes and blankets for those left without homes. | Through the night, people have been donating food, clothes and blankets for those left without homes. |
| Bhupinder Singh, one volunteer handling donations, said: "It is times like this that the best of our community comes out. This is where you find out how good it is to live in England and how good it is to be a Londoner." | Bhupinder Singh, one volunteer handling donations, said: "It is times like this that the best of our community comes out. This is where you find out how good it is to live in England and how good it is to be a Londoner." |
| Questions have been raised about why the fire appeared to spread so quickly and engulf the entire building. | Questions have been raised about why the fire appeared to spread so quickly and engulf the entire building. |
| BBC Newsnight's Chris Cook says the type of cladding on the outside of Grenfell Tower, installed in 2015, had a polyethylene - or plastic - core, instead of a more fireproof alternative with a mineral core. | BBC Newsnight's Chris Cook says the type of cladding on the outside of Grenfell Tower, installed in 2015, had a polyethylene - or plastic - core, instead of a more fireproof alternative with a mineral core. |
| Similar cladding was used in high-rise buildings hit by fires in France, the UAE and Australia, he said. | Similar cladding was used in high-rise buildings hit by fires in France, the UAE and Australia, he said. |
| The missing | The missing |
| Appeals are being made on social media for news of friends and family who are still unaccounted for. | Appeals are being made on social media for news of friends and family who are still unaccounted for. |
| Among them is 12-year-old Jessica Urbano Ramirez, 66-year-old retired lorry driver Tony Disson and security guard Mo Tuccu, who was visiting friends in the tower to break the Ramadan fast. | Among them is 12-year-old Jessica Urbano Ramirez, 66-year-old retired lorry driver Tony Disson and security guard Mo Tuccu, who was visiting friends in the tower to break the Ramadan fast. |
| An emergency number - 0800 0961 233 - has been set up for anyone concerned about friends or family. | An emergency number - 0800 0961 233 - has been set up for anyone concerned about friends or family. |
| By Wednesday evening, almost all of the building had been searched but crews were still trying to put out "pockets of fire" in hard to reach places, London Fire Brigade Assistant Commissioner Steve Apter said | By Wednesday evening, almost all of the building had been searched but crews were still trying to put out "pockets of fire" in hard to reach places, London Fire Brigade Assistant Commissioner Steve Apter said |
| Checks confirmed the building was not in danger of collapsing, London Fire Brigade added. | Checks confirmed the building was not in danger of collapsing, London Fire Brigade added. |
| 'Baby thrown from window' | |
| Survivors of the fire told how they defied official advice to stay put, and ran with their families down dark, smoke-filled corridors to get out of the building. | Survivors of the fire told how they defied official advice to stay put, and ran with their families down dark, smoke-filled corridors to get out of the building. |
| Michael Paramasivan, who lives on the seventh floor with his girlfriend and young daughter, said: "If we had stayed in that flat, we would've perished." | Michael Paramasivan, who lives on the seventh floor with his girlfriend and young daughter, said: "If we had stayed in that flat, we would've perished." |
| Others were concerned that the smoke alarms did not go off. | Others were concerned that the smoke alarms did not go off. |
| Zoe, from the fourth floor, said: "The way the fire spread so quickly from the fourth floor, all the way up to the 23rd floor was scary." | Zoe, from the fourth floor, said: "The way the fire spread so quickly from the fourth floor, all the way up to the 23rd floor was scary." |
| People in the street below described watching as a baby was thrown from a window, people jumped and climbed down the side of the burning tower using ropes made from bed sheets. | People in the street below described watching as a baby was thrown from a window, people jumped and climbed down the side of the burning tower using ropes made from bed sheets. |
| Jody Martin said: "I watched one person falling out, I watched another woman holding her baby out the window... hearing screams. | Jody Martin said: "I watched one person falling out, I watched another woman holding her baby out the window... hearing screams. |
| "I was yelling at everyone to get down and they were saying 'We can't leave our apartments, the smoke is too bad on the corridors'." | "I was yelling at everyone to get down and they were saying 'We can't leave our apartments, the smoke is too bad on the corridors'." |
| Safety fears | Safety fears |
| Grenfell Tower underwent an £8.6m refurbishment as part of a wider transformation of the estate, that was completed in May last year. | Grenfell Tower underwent an £8.6m refurbishment as part of a wider transformation of the estate, that was completed in May last year. |
| Work included new exterior cladding and a communal heating system. | Work included new exterior cladding and a communal heating system. |
| The 24-storey tower is managed by the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation on behalf of the council. | The 24-storey tower is managed by the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation on behalf of the council. |
| Before and during the refurbishment, the local Grenfell Action Group claimed that the block constituted a fire risk and residents warned that site access for emergency vehicles was "severely restricted". | Before and during the refurbishment, the local Grenfell Action Group claimed that the block constituted a fire risk and residents warned that site access for emergency vehicles was "severely restricted". |
| Policing and fire minister Nick Hurd said checks were now planned on tower blocks that have gone through similar refurbishment. | Policing and fire minister Nick Hurd said checks were now planned on tower blocks that have gone through similar refurbishment. |
| He said authorities discussed "a process whereby we seek to identify towers that might be in a similar process of refurbishment (and) run a system of checks and inspections". | He said authorities discussed "a process whereby we seek to identify towers that might be in a similar process of refurbishment (and) run a system of checks and inspections". |
| Construction firm Rydon, which carried out the refurbishment, said it was "shocked to hear of the devastating fire". | Construction firm Rydon, which carried out the refurbishment, said it was "shocked to hear of the devastating fire". |
| It originally stated that the work "met all required building control, fire regulation and health and safety standards". | It originally stated that the work "met all required building control, fire regulation and health and safety standards". |
| It later issued a new statement, removing the previous mention of the building meeting fire regulation standards, instead saying the project met "all required building regulations". | It later issued a new statement, removing the previous mention of the building meeting fire regulation standards, instead saying the project met "all required building regulations". |
| In a statement, Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation, said it was "too early to speculate what caused the fire and contributed to its spread". | In a statement, Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation, said it was "too early to speculate what caused the fire and contributed to its spread". |
| Council leader Nick Paget-Brown said the buildings were regularly inspected, but a "thorough investigation" was needed. | Council leader Nick Paget-Brown said the buildings were regularly inspected, but a "thorough investigation" was needed. |
| Politicians call for answers | Politicians call for answers |
| The prime minister has promised a "proper investigation" into the fire. | The prime minister has promised a "proper investigation" into the fire. |
| But Labour politicians are calling for answers from the government. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: "We need to know what reports were available, what information was given and what actions were taken." | But Labour politicians are calling for answers from the government. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: "We need to know what reports were available, what information was given and what actions were taken." |
| A review of building regulations covering fire safety was promised by Prime Minister Theresa May's chief of staff, Gavin Barwell, last year, when he was a government minister, but has not been published. | A review of building regulations covering fire safety was promised by Prime Minister Theresa May's chief of staff, Gavin Barwell, last year, when he was a government minister, but has not been published. |
| Responding to earlier reports, the Department for Communities and Local Government said it was "simply not true" that a report has been "sat on". | Responding to earlier reports, the Department for Communities and Local Government said it was "simply not true" that a report has been "sat on". |
| Following the Lakanal House fire in south London in 2009, in which six people died, the coroner recommended the guidance relating to fire safety within the Building Regulations was simplified. | Following the Lakanal House fire in south London in 2009, in which six people died, the coroner recommended the guidance relating to fire safety within the Building Regulations was simplified. |
| The government said this work was "ongoing". | The government said this work was "ongoing". |
| The government also wrote to councils encouraging them to consider retro-fitting sprinklers, as recommended by the coroner, a statement said. | The government also wrote to councils encouraging them to consider retro-fitting sprinklers, as recommended by the coroner, a statement said. |
| Southwark Council was fined £270,000 for breaching fire safety regulations after the Lakanal House blaze. | Southwark Council was fined £270,000 for breaching fire safety regulations after the Lakanal House blaze. |
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