POLICE now fear at leat 58 people died after a huge fire in a 24-storey residential block in north Kensington.
Here’s a summary of what we know so far:
– Thirty people have been killed, according to the Metropolitan Police – the final toll is still expected to be higher
– 24 people are in hospital, according to the London Ambulance Service.
– 12 people are in critical care
– Protestors stormed Kensington town hall, demanding greater action by the local authority in providing information to the victims
– Kensington & Chelsea Council have said that they now have enough donations of food after a massive response by the public to donations point that have been set up at numerous points nearby
– A spokesperson for London Councils, the umbrella organisation for London boroughs, has said local authorities in the capital will be reviewing fire safety procedures in response to the tragedy
– Relatives continue to search for loved ones as eyewitnesses report seeing people jump from the building and parents holding their children outside the window to escape smoke.
– Residents to ‘stay put’ in the building and fire alarms were not working. London mayor Sadiq Khan has ‘demanded answers’
– Building currently maintains its structural integrity. Firefighters have now reached the top floor but have not completed their searches.
– 200 firefighters across across the capital, using a range of specialist vehicles, attended the scene. Commissioner Cotton claims the fire was ‘unprecedented’
– Local action group had long campaigned the building was not safe and was a fire-risk
– Grenfell Tower – built in 1974 – had recently undergone a £8.7m 66-week refurbishment. The project was undertaken by contractor Rydon and was commissioned by Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation, who manage the 24-storey block on behalf of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
– Former housing minister Gavin Barwell, Theresa May’s new chief of staff, has been criticised for not responding to call to review fire regulations – which were last considered in 2006
– The prime minister is ‘deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life’, according to a spokesman. The government’s Civil Contingencies Secretariat is now meeting.
– Battersea Dogs and Cats Home is offering refuge to pets made homeless by the blaze
– Lots of donations for those who have lost everything. Reporter Tessa Jones is at the Harrow Club, where supplies are coming in from across the community.
Our reporter Anna Schaverien from the scene
Our reporter Tom Horton from the scene
Thick black smoke still visible across miles of London on an otherwise beautiful sunny summer’s day.
Pictures from the scene:
