Grenfell Tower, West London
The Grenfell Tower fire occurred on 14 June 2017 at the 24-storey, 220-foot-high (67 m), Grenfell Tower block of public housing flats in North Kensington, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, West London. It caused at least 80 deaths and over 70 injuries. A definitive death toll is not expected until at least 2018.
As of 20 July 2017, 40 victims had been formally identified by the Metropolitan Police and Coroner, including a stillborn baby. Authorities were unable to trace any surviving occupants for 23 of the 129 flats and they are believed to have died in the fire. About 255 people survived.
The fire started in a fridge-freezer on the fourth floor. The growth of the fire is believed to have been accelerated by the building's exterior cladding.
Emergency services received the first report of the fire at 00:54 local time. It burned for about 60 hours until finally extinguished. More than 250 firefighters and 70 fire engines from stations all over London were involved in efforts to control the fire. Many firefighters continued to fight pockets of fire on the higher floors after most of the rest of the building had been gutted. Residents of surrounding buildings were evacuated due to concerns that the tower could collapse, but the building was later determined to be structurally sound.
Firefighters rescued 65 people. Seventy-four people were confirmed to be in six hospitals across London, and 17 of them were in a critical condition.
Stock Photo by Paddy Bergin
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