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| Grenfell Tower death toll may not be known until end of year, say police | Grenfell Tower death toll may not be known until end of year, say police |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Scotland Yard has warned it could take until the end of the year or longer to know for sure how many people died in the Grenfell Tower disaster, as police raised the number of people presumed dead to 80. | |
| Police warned the death toll could rise further and said there were 23 flats in the tower where they had not been able to trace anyone alive. | |
| They said the criminal investigation had identified 60 firms involved in the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower, up from 12 last week, and expect that number to grow. | |
| The update, which raised the official death toll by one, comes amid ongoing controversy about the speed at which authorities are releasing information about the blaze. Residents and survivors have said they believe the final number of fatalities will be far higher than the current estimates. | |
| Det Supt Fiona McCormack, of the Met police, said a list of tenants provided to police by the Kensington and Chelsea Tenants Management Organisation, which managed the building, was “not accurate”. | Det Supt Fiona McCormack, of the Met police, said a list of tenants provided to police by the Kensington and Chelsea Tenants Management Organisation, which managed the building, was “not accurate”. |
| She said: “We are many months from being able to provide a number which we believe accurately represents the total loss of life inside Grenfell Tower. Only after we have completed a search and recovery operation, which will take until the end of the year. | She said: “We are many months from being able to provide a number which we believe accurately represents the total loss of life inside Grenfell Tower. Only after we have completed a search and recovery operation, which will take until the end of the year. |
| “What I can say is that we believe that around 80 people are either dead or sadly missing and I must presume that they are dead.” | “What I can say is that we believe that around 80 people are either dead or sadly missing and I must presume that they are dead.” |
| She said police had checked every official record they could find and even checked delivery records from fast food outlets to get an accurate idea of who had been inside. | She said police had checked every official record they could find and even checked delivery records from fast food outlets to get an accurate idea of who had been inside. |
| “I do not want there to be any hidden victims of this tragedy,” McCormack said. | “I do not want there to be any hidden victims of this tragedy,” McCormack said. |
| But she added that the intense heat from the fire meant some people may never be identified, and comprehensive searches through the debris on all the floors is expected to take to the end of the year or beyond, with the identification process taking even longer. | |
| Efforts to establish who was missing in the wake of the fire were now focused on talking to friends, families and neighbours of those in Grenfell Tower, McCormack said. She added: “What we know is that it would be impossible for anyone to produce a list to show exactly who was at Grenfell Tower that night, that includes the people who were living there or who were visiting.” | Efforts to establish who was missing in the wake of the fire were now focused on talking to friends, families and neighbours of those in Grenfell Tower, McCormack said. She added: “What we know is that it would be impossible for anyone to produce a list to show exactly who was at Grenfell Tower that night, that includes the people who were living there or who were visiting.” |
| Police said there were 129 flats in the block. There are survivors from 106 of these flats, whom police have spoken to about who lived there and who may have been visiting. | Police said there were 129 flats in the block. There are survivors from 106 of these flats, whom police have spoken to about who lived there and who may have been visiting. |
| No survivors have yet been found from 23 flats. A total of 250 officers are working on the investigation with specialists in anthropology and dental records called in to assist. The criminal investigation will seek to establish if charges will can brought against those involved in renovating the building, including manslaughter, McCormack said. | No survivors have yet been found from 23 flats. A total of 250 officers are working on the investigation with specialists in anthropology and dental records called in to assist. The criminal investigation will seek to establish if charges will can brought against those involved in renovating the building, including manslaughter, McCormack said. |
| “We are continuing to seize material on a daily basis and the number of companies and organisations that we know so far had played a role in the refurbishment is over 60,” she added. | “We are continuing to seize material on a daily basis and the number of companies and organisations that we know so far had played a role in the refurbishment is over 60,” she added. |
| Survivors of the fire were also said to have given statements. | Survivors of the fire were also said to have given statements. |