Death toll of 12 expected to rise in London tower block fire

[webfact]

Death toll of 12 expected to rise in London tower block fire

By Peter Nicholls and Estelle Shirbon

 

Flames and smoke billow as firefighters deal with a serious fire in the Grenfell Tower apartment block at Latimer Road in West London, Britain June 14, 2017. REUTERS/Toby Melville

 

LONDON (Reuters) - The death toll in a fire disaster that destroyed a 24-storey block of flats in London was expected to rise on Thursday, with many people still missing and firefighters facing hazardous conditions as they searched the charred carcass.

 

Smoke was still wafting out of the shell of the Grenfell Tower on Thursday morning, 30 hours after fire engulfed the building in the early hours of Wednesday and turned it into a huge flaming torch in a matter of minutes.

 

Authorities have confirmed 12 deaths, but have said that figure would rise. Firefighters rescued 65 people from the building.

 

Survivors who have lost everything spent the night at emergency shelters, as charities and local support groups were flooded with donations of clothes and bedding from shocked Londoners.

 

The fire brigade said the inferno was unprecedented in its scale and speed.

 

The tower, a social housing block built in 1974 in North Kensington, an area of west London, contained 120 flats and was thought to have been home to about 600 people.

 

Harrowing accounts emerged of people trapped inside as the blaze destroyed everything around them, shouting for help and trying to escape through windows using makeshift ropes made from bedsheets.

 

By Thursday morning, there was no sign of life in or around the blackened hulk. Security cordons were in place around the base of the tower, where the ground was littered with charred debris.

 

Outside the cordons, impromptu tributes had appeared, with photos of missing people, messages of condolences, flowers and candles.

 

Emergency services said it was too early to say what had caused the disaster. Some residents said no alarm had sounded. Others said they had warned repeatedly about fire safety in the block.

 

The building had recently undergone an 8.7 million pound ($11.08 million) exterior refurbishment, which included new external cladding and windows.

 

(Reporting by Peter Nicholls, Gerhard Mey and Estelle Shirbon; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-06-15

[darksidedog]

That was probably  the most tragic and scary thing I have ever seen in my life. I am amazed, and my hat comes off for the firefighters who kept going back in for hours, to rescue people. Whatever the final awful number is, it would have been much higher without their heroics.

R.I.P. to those killed and I hope for swift recoveries for those injured.

I hope to see the findings of the inquiry heeded. This should never be allowed to happen again, anywhere!

Edited June 15, 2017 by darksidedog

[snoop1130]

London tower block fire toll rises to 17, more feared dead

By Alistair Smout and Estelle Shirbon

 

Damage is seen to a tower block which was destroyed in a fire disaster, in north Kensington, West London, Britain June 15, 2017. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls

 

The death toll in a fire that ripped through a 24-storey block of flats in London rose to 17 on Thursday, with many people still missing and firefighters facing hazardous conditions as they searched the charred wreck.

 

Smoke was still wafting out of the shell of the Grenfell Tower on Thursday, and a Reuters cameraman saw a big piece of building cladding fall from the building.

 

Fire engulfed the social housing block in the early hours of Wednesday, turning it into a flaming torch in minutes.

 

"Sadly I can confirm that the number of people that have died is now 17," London police commander Stuart Cundy told reporters.

 

He said that number was expected to rise and firefighters have said they did not expect to find any more survivors after rescuing 65 from the inferno. Thirty-seven people remained in hospital, with 17 of them in critical care.

 

"Our absolute priority for all of us is identifying and locating those people who are still missing," Cundy said before declining to comment on speculation about the likely final death toll: "It would be wrong for me to get into numbers that I do not believe are accurate."

 

London Fire Brigade chief Dany Cotton said urban search units backed by specialist dog teams would scour the building as structural surveyors helped make the tower safe.

 

The cause of the blaze, the worst in the British capital in a generation, was being investigated. Speaking within weeks of London's deadliest attack by militants in more than a decade, Cundy said nothing suggested the fire was linked to terrorism.

 

Prime Minister Theresa May, who has promised an investigation into the disaster, visited the scene on Thursday to meet members of the emergency services, but left without making any public comment.

 

Local residents say there had been repeated warnings about the safety of the building, which recently underwent an 8.7 million pound ($11.1 million) exterior refurbishment, which included new external cladding and windows.

 

Planning documents detailing the refurbishment did not refer to a type of fire barrier that building safety experts said should be used when high-rise blocks are being re-clad, according to Reuters research.

 

Queen Elizabeth said her thoughts and prayers were with those families who had lost loved ones and with the many people still critically ill in hospital. She also paid tribute to the bravery of firefighters who risked their lives to save others.

 

"It is also heartening to see the incredible generosity of community volunteers rallying to help those affected by this terrible event," the queen said.

 

OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT

 

Survivors, many of whom lost all their belongings in the blaze, spent the night at emergency shelters, as charities and local support groups were flooded with donations of clothes and bedding from shocked Londoners.

 

Piles of shoes, clothes, duvets and other items accumulated in several spots where volunteers were sorting them. The local authority, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, thanked donors but said it could not take any further donations.

 

The singer Adele was among many Londoners who gathered close to the burnt tower late on Wednesday to show sympathy for the victims and survivors.

 

The queen's grandsons, Prince William and Prince Harry, along with William's wife Kate, donated to a relief fund organised by London's local Evening Standard newspaper.

 

The fire brigade said the fire was unprecedented in its scale and the speed of its spread.

 

The tower, built in 1974 in North Kensington, an area of west London, contained 120 flats and was thought to have been home to about 600 people.

 

Accounts emerged of people trapped inside as the blaze destroyed everything around them, shouting for help and trying to escape through windows using makeshift ropes from bed sheets tied together.

 

By Thursday morning, there was no sign of life in or around the blackened hulk. Security cordons were in place around the base of the tower and the ground was littered with charred debris.

 

Outside the cordons, impromptu tributes appeared with photos of missing people, messages of condolences, flowers and candles.

 

Emergency services said it was too early to say what had caused the disaster. Some residents said no alarm had sounded. Others said they had warned repeatedly about fire safety in the block.

 

(Additional reporting by Kate Holton, Michael Holden and Costas Pitas; Writing by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-6-15

[how241]

Sad story, getting worst.

[Basil B]

PM orders public inquiry...

Quote

London fire: Prime minister orders full public inquiry

Prime Minister Theresa May has ordered a full public inquiry into the fire that engulfed a west London block of flats, killing at least 17 people.

That figure is expected to rise, as fire chiefs have said they do not expect to find any more survivors in the burnt-out Grenfell Tower, in north Kensington.

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40291227

 

 

[gk10002000]

Online records indicate contractor Harley Facades Limited installed "over-cladding with ACM cassette rainscreen" at Grenfell Tower.  ACM stands for aluminium composite material, which is the same combustible product blamed for fuelling nearly a dozen major high-rise fires globally in the past decade, including in Melbourne in 2014.  A permit was granted for the refurbishment in early 2014.

[quandow]

Why didn't the building collapse?  I thought they all collapsed after an hour or two of being on fire.

[Stargeezr]

This is a social housing tower?  Is tha why it only had one staircase for the entire building and no sprinklers.?

It sure looked like too much of the building was on fire so quickly.  This cladding, was it part of the renovations?

  Lots of questions, have to be answered on this fire, and I hope there is no cover up by anyone with the

investigations. RIP to those who died.

Geezer

 

[KKr]

did you recently check that the fire-doors in your Condo are in good order and that there is no garbage stored on the staircase and near the exit?
It took me about six months to convince the "Juristic Person" that, at least during the night, the fire-doors of our Condominium must be closed.
 

[funandsuninbangkok]

BBC World news this morning said fears are now HUNDREDS are missing and feared dead. Massive disaster. Very sad. 

 

Is The Mayor of London responsible for fire brigade oversite?

[funandsuninbangkok]

7 hours ago, gk10002000 said:

Online records indicate contractor Harley Facades Limited installed "over-cladding with ACM cassette rainscreen" at Grenfell Tower.  ACM stands for aluminium composite material, which is the same combustible product blamed for fuelling nearly a dozen major high-rise fires globally in the past decade, including in Melbourne in 2014.  A permit was granted for the refurbishment in early 2014.

You can see Thais mounting this on old buildings all over Bangkok. Makes them look shiny new on outside!

[gk10002000]

Just now, funandsuninbangkok said:

You can see Thais mounting this on old buildings all over Bangkok. Makes them look shiny new on outside!

and my pool knowledge of chemistry suggest that aluminum and iron burning together is basically thermite which can burn really hot

[nasanews]

Listen to what Mark Thomas has to say at 01:52 minute.