The Independent – All 72 deaths were avoidable
The Independent says Grenfell Tower inquiry chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick said the deaths of 72 people, which included 18 children, in the 2017 fire were “all avoidable”. He said: “The simple truth is that the deaths that occurred were all avoidable and that those who lived in the tower were badly failed over a number of years and in a number of different ways by those who were responsible for ensuring the safety of the building and its occupants.”
He listed a number of bodies involved in the running of Grenfell, which included the Government, the tenant management organisation, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, the manufacturers of the refurbishment, the London Fire Brigade, the architect, Studio E and the principal contractor, Rydon Maintenance Ltd, among others.
Devastating Grenfell Tower fire was result of decades of institutional failings, damning final report finds
The Grenfell Tower fire that claimed the lives of 72 residents was the result of decades of failure by governments and the construction industry, a damning final report into the disaster has found.
Eighteen children were among those killed in the 2017 blaze that the 24-storey block in flames while scores were trapped inside.
The tower, in Kensington, west London, had been coated in flammable materials because of the “systematic dishonesty” of firms who made and sold the cladding and insulation, inquiry chair Sir Martin Moore-Bick said on Wednesday.
The excoriating report concluded that all 72 deaths were avoidable, and condemned companies for the “deliberate and sustained” manipulation of fire-safety testing. Owners of the tower, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC), were also criticised, as was the tower’s tenants management organisation (TMO).
Families and survivors lashed out at the long delay to hold anyone to account, as the Crown Prosecution Service warned that any criminal charges are unlikely to be brought until the end of 2026.
Today’s news summary – Paper Talk
If you are someone who reads every perspective of a story, here is a news summary of all of today’s front pages from today’s newspapers; summarised in a 2-minute read
Editorial 05 September 2024.
Thursday’s front pages are dominated by the final report from the Grenfell fire inquiry which lays out the multiple failures that led to the 2017 tragedy.
The report of the six-year public inquiry found that the Grenfell Tower fire that killed 72 people in 20217 was the result of a chain of failures by governments, “dishonest” companies and a lack of strategy by the fire service, the final report of the six-year public inquiry has concluded.
