Grenfell tower 79 presumed dead in london fire

The Grenfell Tower fire was a devastating blaze that occurred on June 14, 2017, at the 24-story Grenfell Tower in North Kensington, London, England. The fire started in a fourth-floor flat and quickly spread throughout the building, fueled by the flammable cladding and insulation used in the tower's exterior renovation.

The fire raged for over 17 hours, killing at least 72 people and injuring many more. The exact number of fatalities is still unknown, as some victims' bodies were never recovered or identified. However, the Metropolitan Police Service has confirmed that 79 people are presumed dead, making it one of the deadliest fires in British history.

The fire was caused by a faulty refrigerator in a fourth-floor flat, which sparked a small fire that quickly spread due to the building's flammable cladding. The cladding, which was installed as part of a £8.6 million renovation project in 2014, was found to be highly combustible and contributed to the rapid spread of the fire.

The fire was exacerbated by a lack of working sprinklers, inadequate fire safety measures, and a failure to evacuate the building quickly enough. The London Fire Brigade received the first call about the fire at 12:54 am, and the first firefighters arrived at 1:00 am. However, it took over an hour for the fire to be fully contained, and many residents were trapped in their flats or forced to jump from the building to escape.

The Grenfell Tower fire led to widespread outrage and calls for accountability, with many questioning the government's handling of the disaster and the lack of fire safety measures in place. An independent public inquiry into the fire was established, and it has been investigating the causes and circumstances of the fire since 2017.

The fire also led to significant changes in building safety regulations in the UK, including the introduction of new laws requiring buildings to be retrofitted with fire safety measures and the creation of a new regulator to oversee building safety. The government has also committed to providing support and compensation to the victims and their families, including a £200 million fund to help rebuild the community.