We can’t yet be sure what caused the devastating fire at Grenfell Tower. Early speculation, some of it expert, some of it not but based on eyewitness testimony, points to the cladding on the outside of the building, which was added during a recent £8.6m makeover. This, it seems, may have turned an ugly but safe concrete tower into a death trap.
Nor do we have any idea how many people were killed in the blaze. Commander Stuart Cundy of the Metropolitan Police said at 11 a.m. today: ‘Sadly I can confirm the number of people that have died is now 17. We do believe that that number will increase.’ There are still 37 people receiving treatment, of which 17 are in critical care. Many people are missing, as all papers reported this morning.
Yesterday, I suggested that it was too early – as the tower smouldered – for political finger-pointing, despite the number of questions that needed answering about the building’s management, ownership and residents’ concerns.
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