Disaster Report: Inferno at Grenfell Tower in London, attributed to "decades of neglect"
On June 14, 2017, early in the day, a blaze ignited on the fourth level of a 24-story living quarter in North Kensington. It only took thirty minutes for the fire to climb up to the roof, thanks to the highly combustible covering on the building's exterior.
The recent inquiry report scrutinizes the previous administration and significant offices greatly. The providers of the covering and other thermal insulation materials are the main suspects, with investigators alleging "systemic deceit." They claim that these businesses intentionally and persistently manipulated tests and their outcomes.
The London Fire Brigade also takes blame in the report. Its leadership missed the opportunity to address the growing use of such coverings and integrate it into their overall firefighting training. Furthermore, the leadership failed to learn from a prior fire in 2009, which had already highlighted weaknesses in dealing with high-rise blazes.
Residents of Grenfell Tower were instructed by the emergency hotline to remain in their flats and wait for rescue for around two hours following the fire's outbreak. This ultimately led to several residents getting trapped and losing their lives inside their homes.
Prime Minister Starmer expressed remorse on behalf of the state for the calamity on Wednesday, stating that it "needn't have happened." He acknowledged that the state had failed in its fundamental responsibility to safeguard its citizens, expressing deep regret.
Residents of buildings sporting similar coverings live in perpetual dread of a similar event. Owners of these apartments face financial strain as their properties are no longer marketable.
Just two weeks ago, a blaze broke out in an east London high-rise, necessitating the evacuation of over 80 people. At the time, work was being done to replace the non-fire-resistant covering. Based on official data, around 1300 buildings in London alone require urgent replacement of such coverings.
The London Metropolitan Police's investigation into the Grenfell Tower disaster is still ongoing, separate from the recently published report. It is projected to be completed by the end of the following year. Afterward, it may take at least another two years for the Crown Prosecution Service to decide on any potential charges against those responsible.
The inquiry report suggests that the manufacturers of the building's external covering and thermal insulation materials could face legal consequences, as allegations of "systemic deceit" and manipulated test results have been made. The Grenfell Tower tragedy could have been prevented if the London Fire Brigade had addressed the rising use of such coverings in their firefighting training and learned from previous high-rise fire incidents.
