:00:00. > :00:08.Tonight at ten, we're in West London where 12 people have died
:00:09. > :00:10.and many are still missing after a residential tower block
:00:11. > :00:17.It's thought Grenfell Tower was home to more than 500 people.
:00:18. > :00:20.The fire started at one in the morning, and emergency
:00:21. > :00:35.There's a dedicated line for this incident.
:00:36. > :00:41.The fire started on the fourth floor and spread with terrifying speeds,
:00:42. > :00:43.engulfing all 24 stories as people tried desperately to escape.
:00:44. > :00:45.There was smoke everywhere, literally everywhere.
:00:46. > :00:48.There was people downstairs, there was bits of the block...
:00:49. > :00:50.Cladding falling off the block that was on fire.
:00:51. > :00:54.The fire was still raging hours later at dawn,
:00:55. > :00:58.as fears grew for the many still unaccounted for.
:00:59. > :01:02.By this time it was engulfed and maybe one or two windows
:01:03. > :01:04.weren't, and there was people in there, you know?
:01:05. > :01:07.You could see the silhouettes, and then the next thing explosions.
:01:08. > :01:10.The London Fire Brigade struggled to reach the upper floors
:01:11. > :01:14.because of intense heat and falling debris.
:01:15. > :01:17.This is a completely unprecedented fire.
:01:18. > :01:20.In my 29 years in the London Fire Brigade I have never seen
:01:21. > :01:22.a fire of this nature, and I have seen many
:01:23. > :01:28.Residents have been taking shelter in nearby community centres,
:01:29. > :01:33.some are still looking for missing relatives.
:01:34. > :01:36.She said we can't do it because the smoke is killing her,
:01:37. > :01:39.The smoke is coming through the doors, she's
:01:40. > :01:46.And that was the last time we heard from her.
:01:47. > :01:49.There's no word yet on the cause of the blaze.
:01:50. > :01:51.Residents say they had raised concerns about fire
:01:52. > :01:57.Dozens of people are being treated in London's hospitals, 18 are said
:01:58. > :02:03.The block had recently been refurbished.
:02:04. > :02:06.Ministers have ordered urgent checks on buildings where similar work
:02:07. > :02:13.Stay with BBC News throughout the evening for all the developments
:02:14. > :02:40.from our correspondents at the scene of the London tower block.
:02:41. > :02:42.Good evening from west London, where many people remain
:02:43. > :02:47.unaccounted for tonight, after a 24-storey tower block
:02:48. > :02:51.in North Kensington was destroyed by fire.
:02:52. > :02:54.Police have confirmed 12 people dead so far,
:02:55. > :02:57.but that figure is expected to rise significantly, as the emergency
:02:58. > :03:01.services deal with what they say is a "complex recovery operation".
:03:02. > :03:05.Grenfell Tower was home to as many as 600 residents and some of them
:03:06. > :03:10.had repeatedly raised concerns about fire safety in recent years.
:03:11. > :03:14.Grenfell Tower is part of a social housing complex,
:03:15. > :03:16.of nearly 1,000 homes, near the Westfield shopping
:03:17. > :03:21.There were 120 flats on 24 floors, most of the residents would have
:03:22. > :03:27.The alarm was raised just before one in the morning,
:03:28. > :03:31.and fire crews were there within six minutes.
:03:32. > :03:36.The cause of the fire isn't known, but the block had recently been
:03:37. > :03:38.refurbished and ministers have ordered emergency checks
:03:39. > :03:43.on towers where similar work has been carried out.
:03:44. > :03:49.Our first report on the tower block fire is by our home editor
:03:50. > :03:52.Mark Easton, and there are some distressing images from the start.
:03:53. > :03:55.Our first report on the tower block fire is by our home editor
:03:56. > :04:03.It is a tragedy that plays to our darkest fears.
:04:04. > :04:07.There was smoke everywhere, literally everywhere. There was
:04:08. > :04:09.people downstairs, bits of the block, cladding falling off the
:04:10. > :04:14.block. Screaming. People screaming. The fire started
:04:15. > :04:16.between midnight and 1am. The screams from the flats
:04:17. > :04:18.and the acrid smell of burning, It was just people
:04:19. > :04:28.jumping out, literally. And putting sheets down
:04:29. > :04:31.to try to get out of the building. Windows exploding, big,
:04:32. > :04:32.massive pieces of debris We came here, saw
:04:33. > :04:36.people jumping off. People had jumped off
:04:37. > :04:42.because they had no other option to. Someone was on fire
:04:43. > :04:47.and they jumped too. Some people have picked
:04:48. > :04:52.up their children and threw them out for the police to pick them up
:04:53. > :04:55.because there was no other way I saw kids at the window
:04:56. > :05:14.screaming, "Help me, help me, And all these people that... That
:05:15. > :05:17.have lost people in their lives. I know how that feels, you know? My
:05:18. > :05:20.heart goes out to them. The fire raced through the 24 story
:05:21. > :05:29.council block in this deprived part Fire officers managed to rescue a
:05:30. > :05:31.large number of people and help others escape.
:05:32. > :05:34.On the seventh floor, this family were led to safety
:05:35. > :05:36.There was smoke everywhere, people screaming.
:05:37. > :05:39.There was a fireman there going, "Get out, get out."
:05:40. > :05:42.I ran back in just my boxer shorts, put my dressing gown on,
:05:43. > :05:45.grabbed the little girl, put her under my dressing gown
:05:46. > :05:47.to cover her face from the smoke, got my girlfriend up.
:05:48. > :05:49.Ran down the stairs, we're on the seventh,
:05:50. > :05:52.as we're running down we've gone to the fourth floor
:05:53. > :05:59.This mother and her six-year-old son were also trapped on the seventh
:06:00. > :06:03.floor. For a moment she thought her best option was to jump through the
:06:04. > :06:12.window with her child in her arms. For a split second I thought to jump
:06:13. > :06:16.over. Because the smoke was... You thought about jumping from the
:06:17. > :06:23.building? And then your husband grabbed you and to keyword. I called
:06:24. > :06:26.911, they sensed... Otherwise my second thought was, you know, let's
:06:27. > :06:30.just jump. Many residents have complained to me
:06:31. > :06:33.that the fire alarm was too quiet to hear and that the blaze raced from
:06:34. > :06:38.the bottom to the top of the block in less than half an hour. All the
:06:39. > :06:41.time we have lived there they said there is any fires you have to stay
:06:42. > :06:45.in the flat because the fire can penetrate the front door, if we
:06:46. > :06:51.stayed in the flat we would have all perished, there is no way it was
:06:52. > :06:54.recently refurbished but tenants were worried and warned the
:06:55. > :07:00.authorities they feared the block was a disaster waiting to happen. We
:07:01. > :07:04.tried to take lots of things to the local MP and it looks like it has
:07:05. > :07:10.been ignored. We were scared this could happen, if one fire happened,
:07:11. > :07:13.we knew would happen. Deep poverty and extraordinary
:07:14. > :07:17.wealth live side by side in this part of north London. The block was
:07:18. > :07:19.home to some of Kensington's poorest families.
:07:20. > :07:23.With dawn came grim - if expected - news that lives had been lost.
:07:24. > :07:28.I am looking for my brother. Was he in the flat? Yeah.
:07:29. > :07:31.Many people, numb with shock, frantically searched to find missing
:07:32. > :07:34.This woman's sister and 12-year-old nephew were unaccounted for.
:07:35. > :07:51.As well as the smoke and the smell of burning,
:07:52. > :07:54.numb shock and tension hangs over this area.
:07:55. > :07:57.In the 21st century, in a country with some
:07:58. > :07:59.of the strictest fire regulations in the world, a desperate tragedy
:08:00. > :08:12.Well into the morning, the crowds watching the horror
:08:13. > :08:14.unfold in front of them reported seeing people still
:08:15. > :08:32.A man was eventually brought out by the emergency services at noon.
:08:33. > :08:34.This off-duty nurse helped tend to some of the injured
:08:35. > :08:40.I have seen some things, but today...
:08:41. > :08:46.There are mothers that have come out and lost their children.
:08:47. > :08:52.There are firefighters that have come out injured.
:08:53. > :08:55.We don't know if they are even going to come out safe.
:08:56. > :08:57.People have lost their homes, children have seen things,
:08:58. > :09:07.We just need to rebuild as a community now.
:09:08. > :09:13.And how the community responded. People just did what they could.
:09:14. > :09:18.This woman went to her wardrobe, grabbed a bag of her own clothes to
:09:19. > :09:22.give to those who had none. A bag of clothes, to me, is nothing when I
:09:23. > :09:26.could help somebody else, you know? But this is a community where a lot
:09:27. > :09:30.of people don't have a lot, and that kind of generosity is quite
:09:31. > :09:39.something. I know but, you know, they could be replaceable. My
:09:40. > :09:41.clothes could be replaceable. This is terrible! It is a disaster for
:09:42. > :09:45.this community. We are pulling together, the people that have
:09:46. > :09:51.nothing are getting things for the people that have nothing. Sadly I
:09:52. > :09:57.can confirm that there are now 12 people that have died that we know.
:09:58. > :10:01.This is going to be a long and complex recovery operation. And I
:10:02. > :10:02.anticipate that the number of fatalities will, sadly, increased
:10:03. > :10:07.those 12. This is a neighbourhood
:10:08. > :10:08.that feels ignored. We have a number of high-rise
:10:09. > :10:14.buildings here and in They do have to meet stringent
:10:15. > :10:18.safety and fire safety standards, and in a refurbishment there will be
:10:19. > :10:20.a thorough inspection Doesn't appear to have
:10:21. > :10:24.worked, though, does it? It clearly hasn't,
:10:25. > :10:37.we will have to get the bottom London's mayor promised a thorough
:10:38. > :10:41.and independent Internet -- investigation into what happened. My
:10:42. > :10:44.thoughts and prayers, as I am sure the thoughts and prayers of the
:10:45. > :10:49.entire country, with the family and friends of those in the building and
:10:50. > :10:54.affected by this tragic and horrific fire. I also pay tribute to the
:10:55. > :11:01.amazing emergency services, from the Fire Service. We have more than 250
:11:02. > :11:05.firefighters, many have been here from the beginning.
:11:06. > :11:08.Wants the scene is secure and the recovery is complete then an
:11:09. > :11:12.investigation will take place into the cause of the fire, and if there
:11:13. > :11:16.are lessons to be learned. Until then, focus must be on ensuring that
:11:17. > :11:18.the emergency services have what they need to continue with their
:11:19. > :11:19.harrowing work. The streets of North Kensington
:11:20. > :11:21.are littered with ashes. The charred homework of a school
:11:22. > :11:26.child blown from Grenfell Tower. But the neighbourhood is also
:11:27. > :11:29.scarred by grief that will not pass Mark Easton, BBC News,
:11:30. > :11:36.North Kensington. Throughout the night stories emerged
:11:37. > :11:39.of people who'd managed to escape from the tower block and watched
:11:40. > :11:41.the fire as it swept Many are now being sheltered
:11:42. > :11:47.in nearby community centres. That's where the families
:11:48. > :11:49.and friends of those still missing are also gathering,
:11:50. > :11:52.going from centre to centre Our special correspondent,
:11:53. > :11:58.Lucy Manning, has been talking to some of the families affected
:11:59. > :12:17.by the tragedy. There is is punctuated with the
:12:18. > :12:20.sound of crying. -- the air was punctuated. Some have lost their
:12:21. > :12:24.home. Others much, much more. They gathered outside the community
:12:25. > :12:31.centre, but the one thing nobody could offer was good news. For this
:12:32. > :12:37.family, it was understandably too much. My mum, my sister, her
:12:38. > :12:41.daughters and her husband. Yet, they are all still in the building. I
:12:42. > :12:49.don't know if they are out, we do not know any information.
:12:50. > :12:57.Susan gave us this picture of her three smiling nieces. What floor
:12:58. > :13:02.where your family on? The 22nd. You have not been able to contact them?
:13:03. > :13:06.I phoned my sister jeering... When she was in there, all I could hear
:13:07. > :13:11.was screaming and I was trying to tell her get out, get to the nearest
:13:12. > :13:15.fire exit and I just heard people screaming. I was shouting so she
:13:16. > :13:20.could hear, you know? Even the police officer heard me shouting on
:13:21. > :13:33.the phone, you know? I wanted to go in, do
:13:34. > :13:37.something I felt hopeless just standing there. A blanket at least,
:13:38. > :13:39.so people could jump out of the window. In the last few hours Susan
:13:40. > :13:42.heard news that somebody might have spoken to her family. She still does
:13:43. > :13:44.not know if it is true. Mohammed's taxi is empty, his family are using
:13:45. > :13:48.it to appeal for help. The 57-year-old was on the 23rd floor
:13:49. > :13:52.but they have heard nothing for hours. My brother was on the phone
:13:53. > :13:56.to him the two and a half hours, he was saying help me, help me. The
:13:57. > :14:00.fire brigade was barricading them in, the smoke was going up the
:14:01. > :14:04.stairs from the fourth floor and they said the situation was under
:14:05. > :14:08.control and it would be all right. Then he just went missing, his phone
:14:09. > :14:13.was not answering no more. We have been to all the hospitals, nothing.
:14:14. > :14:20.This man escape from the block but other relatives are injured. Two are
:14:21. > :14:25.still in a coma, they had so much smoke in their body. After the panic
:14:26. > :14:30.of last night, families today is struggling with the silence. My
:14:31. > :14:35.brother-in-law, his wife and three children are missing. The children
:14:36. > :14:42.aged 20, the boy is 20, a girl of 16, 17, and a boy of eight years.
:14:43. > :14:49.Ahmed spoke to them as they were trapped. I said why are you not
:14:50. > :14:52.coming? She said they asked us to stay, my husband is talking to the
:14:53. > :14:56.emergency people. She said everything is all right, they are
:14:57. > :15:01.coming to get us. But the heat is coming. I said, look, get a wet
:15:02. > :15:05.blanket, but the kids on the floor and cover them and wait. She said we
:15:06. > :15:10.can't do it because the smoke is killing us, it is coming. Tonight
:15:11. > :15:18.Ahmed said he believes his relatives could be in one of the hospitals. We
:15:19. > :15:21.were allowed to speak to survivors who had escaped and reached the
:15:22. > :15:27.safety of the community centre. I woke up at about 1245 in my living
:15:28. > :15:32.room to help me, help me! A woman screaming my baby, my baby! And
:15:33. > :15:40.other sounds of chaos. Police were coming through the walkway, knocking
:15:41. > :15:46.on every door, evacuate! Get the hell out of there, this is going up.
:15:47. > :15:52.Edwards saved by his friend Will calling him telling him to leave.
:15:53. > :15:55.The smoke was so thick, you could not see anything. I got maybe three
:15:56. > :16:00.quarters of the way and I was using my hands to feel against the wall,
:16:01. > :16:05.but I began thinking to myself this will be me. I am going to die of
:16:06. > :16:12.smoke inhalation. It was a fireman lying on the ground, this fireman
:16:13. > :16:19.saved my life, to be honest, he touched my foot and let me where the
:16:20. > :16:24.fire exit was. Edwards instrumental in raising concerns about the safety
:16:25. > :16:28.of the building years ago. This accident never needed to have
:16:29. > :16:32.happened. If people had listened to what we were saying, what the block
:16:33. > :16:37.was saying, what people, not just me but other members of the community
:16:38. > :16:41.were saying. Inside the centre those waiting for news or who have lost
:16:42. > :16:48.their homes are gathered downstairs in the hall. As you can imagine, it
:16:49. > :16:53.is a fairly distressing situation. At times people sobbing as they wait
:16:54. > :16:58.for news. News that at this stage will possibly not be good.
:16:59. > :17:02.They have no homes to go back to the. It's not just the burnt-out
:17:03. > :17:05.building that looms over this community, but the fear that they
:17:06. > :17:10.will hear that many more of their neighbours have died. Lucy Manning,
:17:11. > :17:15.BBC News, West London. The cause of the fire
:17:16. > :17:19.is, as yet, unknown. Kensington and Chelsea Council says
:17:20. > :17:21.it will be fully investigated and that the tower block
:17:22. > :17:34.was regularly inspected. Some residents say they had
:17:35. > :17:38.been warning repeatedly about the risk of fire
:17:39. > :17:44.at the tower block. Our home affairs correspondent,
:17:45. > :17:46.Tom Symonds, reports on what the investigation into
:17:47. > :17:49.Grenfell Tower will be looking at. A deathtrap - that is
:17:50. > :17:51.what some residents believe Their high-rise home in ashes,
:17:52. > :17:54.friends and relatives dead, They say, we told you something was
:17:55. > :17:59.going to happen, again and again. The proof of that
:18:00. > :18:11.was not hard to find. This is a blog by the tower's
:18:12. > :18:28.Residents' Association which says... We repeatedly reported concerns
:18:29. > :18:40.to the tenant management organisation of the Royal Borough
:18:41. > :18:42.of Kensington Chelsea, including fire safety concerns
:18:43. > :18:44.which were not investigated They included concerns
:18:45. > :18:49.about this advice to residents to stay put inside a flat
:18:50. > :18:52.if there was a fire outside. There were also reports
:18:53. > :18:57.of faulty safety equipment, power surges and
:18:58. > :19:04.inadequate fire alarms. The tower is owned by the council,
:19:05. > :19:07.but in the 1990s the Tenants Management Organisation
:19:08. > :19:09.took over. Professional managers joined
:19:10. > :19:13.by a board of tenants and councillors, including
:19:14. > :19:14.Judith Blakeman, she says she repeatedly argued on behalf
:19:15. > :19:20.of worried residents. They just kept saying,
:19:21. > :19:22."we are very concerned about it. We would like an independent
:19:23. > :19:26.reassurance to put You keep telling us, you,
:19:27. > :19:29.the manager, you the freeholder, But we want to see
:19:30. > :19:33.an independent assessment." And it wasn't just the Grenfell,
:19:34. > :19:44.this is the Adair Tower, There was a fire here too
:19:45. > :19:49.in 2015, arson, luckily, Following what happened here,
:19:50. > :19:55.the management was issued with an enforcement order
:19:56. > :19:57.by the fire brigade. Failings to ensure
:19:58. > :20:00.preventative measures Failure to offer a well
:20:01. > :20:05.marked escape route People were angry then,
:20:06. > :20:12.now they're furious. Jose has lived here for 30 years,
:20:13. > :20:16.he has friends fighting for their lives after the Grenfell
:20:17. > :20:24.fire, just a mile away. In this tower we've had a fire,
:20:25. > :20:27.it's happening too often. In your tower here,
:20:28. > :20:31.what changes were made Basically, they put signs up,
:20:32. > :20:38.which we didn't have. The Grenfell Tower was last given
:20:39. > :20:49.a comprehensive fire risk assessment 18 months ago
:20:50. > :20:52.during its refurbishment, when it The management organisation refused
:20:53. > :20:59.to discuss the case in detail Any work that was done
:21:00. > :21:04.during the refurbishment was completed and signed off
:21:05. > :21:07.and actually that's our position and that's what we will be
:21:08. > :21:09.able to show as we go But this fire, unprecedented
:21:10. > :21:15.in modern times, will be deeply disturbing for those living
:21:16. > :21:17.in high-rise flats. The Government has
:21:18. > :21:22.already ordered a review. We seek to identify towers that
:21:23. > :21:25.might be in a similar process of refurbishment,
:21:26. > :21:33.run a system of checks process of refurbishment, run
:21:34. > :21:35.a system of checks and inspections so that we as quickly as possible
:21:36. > :21:37.can give The investigation will begin
:21:38. > :21:40.once the exhausting task of putting out the inferno
:21:41. > :21:43.at the Grenfell Tower is complete. Getting to the bottom of why it
:21:44. > :21:46.spread so fast could take months. Our home editor, Mark
:21:47. > :21:55.Easton, joins me now. Sadly, Mark, the fire brigade have
:21:56. > :21:59.work to do, clearly. There is the extensive provision needed for local
:22:00. > :22:03.people? Absolutely this is very much an ongoing operation. You can see
:22:04. > :22:08.the building is still burning now. The emergency services, we just saw,
:22:09. > :22:10.exhausted fire officers, in Tom's report just then, they are
:22:11. > :22:16.continuing their work throughout the night and for days to come. The
:22:17. > :22:21.flames still burning. Those flats in there, that is the scene we know of
:22:22. > :22:25.some deaths. We don't know how many. Part of the job will be to try to
:22:26. > :22:29.recover the bodies to identify those bodies and try also to make sense of
:22:30. > :22:32.the confusion that there is right now. With so many people not sure
:22:33. > :22:37.where people are, are they alive, are they in a hospital, are they in
:22:38. > :22:40.some kind of centre somewhere? Families in desperate situations you
:22:41. > :22:45.may have seen earlier in my report. There is a huge job. What are we
:22:46. > :22:49.going to do to house 125 families. Children need to go to school.
:22:50. > :22:53.People need to wash and need food. It's a huge logistics operation for
:22:54. > :22:57.the council. Only when people have their heads around that can we
:22:58. > :23:00.really start thinking about what we have been talking about, some sort
:23:01. > :23:04.of serious inquiry and investigation into exactly why this building
:23:05. > :23:08.behind us turned out to be a fire trap for hundreds of people. Mark we
:23:09. > :23:11.will talk later about the investigation and the challenges
:23:12. > :23:18.there. For now, thanks very much. Mark Easton there for us. Mark
:23:19. > :23:20.mentioning those who have been injured.
:23:21. > :23:23.More than 70 people were treated at six London hospitals,
:23:24. > :23:26.18 of those are still in critical care, most are suffering effects
:23:27. > :23:29.Our medical correspondent, Fergus Walsh, has been looking
:23:30. > :23:32.at the response of the 100 medical staff who were called to the scene.
:23:33. > :23:35.For the third time in as many months, London's medical teams
:23:36. > :23:42.Paramedics, trauma specialists and the air ambulance
:23:43. > :23:43.were all involved, some of whom treated patients
:23:44. > :23:57.The key - to stabilise patients and get them to hospital.
:23:58. > :23:59.At St Mary's we're caring for 16 patients, three
:24:00. > :24:03.At Charing Cross Hospital we have four patients,
:24:04. > :24:06.We are continuing to care for patients who are primarily
:24:07. > :24:11.suffering from the affects of smoke inhalation.
:24:12. > :24:14.Inhaling smoke can damage the lungs and airways and may also cause
:24:15. > :24:21.Specialist burn teams were on standby, but it's understood
:24:22. > :24:29.12 hours after it broke out, a toxic cloud was still billowing
:24:30. > :24:33.from Grenfell Tower, leading to concerned residents
:24:34. > :24:40.handing out face masks donated by local firms.
:24:41. > :24:42.People are breathing in the smoke here and there's
:24:43. > :24:45.lots of soot and there's also, you know, toxic substances that have
:24:46. > :24:56.been used in the building that we're aware of.
:24:57. > :25:04.And everywhere you look, in the surrounding area, are these
:25:05. > :25:07.This children's playground is littered with pieces of debris
:25:08. > :25:09.which have floated the down from the building and are
:25:10. > :25:12.what appear to be pieces of insulation from the outside
:25:13. > :25:14.of the tower block, and you can taste the soot
:25:15. > :25:18.Everyone's main concern is for the residents of Grenfell Tower,
:25:19. > :25:21.but there are worries too for those living nearby.
:25:22. > :25:23.We find it hard to breathe and we felt like we were
:25:24. > :25:33.So we don't know the damage it will have on our lungs.
:25:34. > :25:35.We have lots of residents who are vulnerable, elderly people,
:25:36. > :25:37.people with severe disabilities, so we're concerned for them.
:25:38. > :25:43.Little children as well, children under the age of five.
:25:44. > :25:45.The hospitals involved say their Accident Emergency
:25:46. > :25:53.They've asked the public to use walk-in centres or their GP
:25:54. > :25:56.unless it's an emergency, allowing them to focus on those
:25:57. > :26:11.The latest is that 34 people remain in hospital tonight. 18 of those in
:26:12. > :26:17.critical care. Some of the staff on duty at St Mares in casualty here
:26:18. > :26:21.today also treated those injured in the Westminster and London Bridge
:26:22. > :26:25.attacks. Day after day they simply don't know who is going to go
:26:26. > :26:34.through those doors, but whatever their injuries, they must and do
:26:35. > :26:39.respond. Huw. Fergal, thank you very much. Fergus Walsh there for us our
:26:40. > :26:43.medical correspondent. Can I remind you of the emergency number set up
:26:44. > :26:45.for anyone concerned for relatives or friends here in this dreadful
:26:46. > :26:50.fire in North Kensington. The Casualty Bureau
:26:51. > :27:02.is 0800 0961 233. Millions of people around the world
:27:03. > :27:06.live in high-rise buildings, the main question is how to keep
:27:07. > :27:08.those residents safe. As we've heard, Grenfell Tower
:27:09. > :27:11.was completely refurbished last year and some fire safety experts have
:27:12. > :27:15.already pointed to cladding on the building as a likely reason
:27:16. > :27:21.the blaze spread so quickly. Our science editor, David Shukman,
:27:22. > :27:24.looks at the safety of tower blocks The wreckage of Grenfell House
:27:25. > :27:32.stands amid a cluster Like many cities around
:27:33. > :27:36.the world, London has seen Homes and offices, perched
:27:37. > :27:41.high above street level, with a host of safety rules designed
:27:42. > :27:45.to resist fire. But eight years ago,
:27:46. > :27:47.a blaze at this tower block in south Southwark Council was fined
:27:48. > :27:53.for breaching fire regulations. And there are plenty
:27:54. > :27:56.of expert voices today saying that the lessons of what happened
:27:57. > :27:58.here at Lakanal House Lakanal House demonstrated
:27:59. > :28:03.that people were at risk The fire in west London last night,
:28:04. > :28:07.this morning, has demonstrated that they are still at risk
:28:08. > :28:09.in their own homes. These fires shouldn't be happening
:28:10. > :28:11.in 21st Century London. We've got the ability to stop
:28:12. > :28:14.them from happening, and when fires to break out,
:28:15. > :28:17.to restrict them to small areas One key question in the spotlight
:28:18. > :28:23.today is about the design of tower blocks and how they're meant to keep
:28:24. > :28:26.people safe in case Now normally, a fire hose can only
:28:27. > :28:33.reach about 15 metres. Grenfell Tower stands
:28:34. > :28:36.67 metres high. In America, they rely on what's
:28:37. > :28:39.called "active safety". Sprinklers fight fires in every
:28:40. > :28:43.room, but that can be expensive. The basic principle here,
:28:44. > :28:47.until recently, has been passive safety, designing the building
:28:48. > :28:49.to confine any blaze Another focus will be
:28:50. > :28:57.on the cladding fitted to the outside of the building,
:28:58. > :29:00.panels to improve insulation and the look of older buildings
:29:01. > :29:03.like Grenfell Tower. But dozens of fires have been linked
:29:04. > :29:09.to cladding around the world. Two years ago, a skyscraper
:29:10. > :29:11.in Dubai caught fire New rules there have
:29:12. > :29:16.tightened up on the kind Investigators here will explore what
:29:17. > :29:25.role the cladding might have played. In the UK, it has to
:29:26. > :29:28.be, of what we call, I'm sure that's going to be
:29:29. > :29:31.questioned now after this fire. What exactly that means
:29:32. > :29:34.and what these types of cladding systems are adding to the fire load
:29:35. > :29:36.on the building. It was after the Second World War
:29:37. > :29:39.that councils answered the housing crisis by moving away
:29:40. > :29:43.from old terraced homes But their safety from fire
:29:44. > :29:48.depends on good design The London Mayor says people living
:29:49. > :29:55.in tower blocks will now need to be reassured,
:29:56. > :29:57.and fire professionals are shocked Literally every single floor
:29:58. > :30:02.was on fire, internally. You see one floor, two
:30:03. > :30:07.floors, and then a hopping from floor to floor,
:30:08. > :30:11.maybe, over a period of time. But you would not normally see
:30:12. > :30:14.an entire facade on fire and then all of the interior on fire
:30:15. > :30:17.at the same time. So the fire overcame whatever safety
:30:18. > :30:24.features were in place. Last year, the Government
:30:25. > :30:26.promised a review into fire safety in tower blocks,
:30:27. > :30:28.but then delayed it. This disaster now makes
:30:29. > :30:30.that work a priority. The scale of the tragedy overnight
:30:31. > :30:42.meant that much of the week's political business at Westminster
:30:43. > :30:44.was put on hold, including an announcement on a possible deal
:30:45. > :30:46.between the Democratic Unionists As we heard, Theresa May said
:30:47. > :30:51.that she was "deeply saddened" Jeremy Corbyn said the fire
:30:52. > :30:55.was the "worst nightmare" and said it raised questions
:30:56. > :30:57.about the resources given to local authorities
:30:58. > :30:59.who were responsible It's the worst nightmare
:31:00. > :31:05.anyone can think of, And sympathy, support and solidarity
:31:06. > :31:13.to all those that are stuck in the tower or have managed to be
:31:14. > :31:16.rescued or who've lost loved ones or don't know what has happened
:31:17. > :31:21.to their friends and family. And a huge thank you
:31:22. > :31:24.to the Fire Service, police and ambulance
:31:25. > :31:26.and all the other emergency services Our political correspondent,
:31:27. > :31:45.Alex Forsyth, is at Westminster. How would you summarise the response
:31:46. > :31:49.at Westminster today to what has happened? Politicians, senior
:31:50. > :31:53.politicians, once again finding themselves paying tribute to the
:31:54. > :31:58.work of the emergency services after a major incident. Theresa May
:31:59. > :32:01.commended what she called the amazing bravery of firefighters,
:32:02. > :32:06.police and paramedics in what she said was an appalling situation, a
:32:07. > :32:10.sentiment echoed by the Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn. He also raised
:32:11. > :32:14.questions about whether enough was done in the past when it came to
:32:15. > :32:19.preventative measures, particularly in the light of similar incidents.
:32:20. > :32:22.He suggested that cuts to cancel budgets, some of which had
:32:23. > :32:25.responsibility for high-rise flats in the area, might have played a
:32:26. > :32:32.part. One Labour figure already suggesting there should be a public
:32:33. > :32:35.inquiry. I think it is inevitable we will hear more in coming days. The
:32:36. > :32:39.Prime Minister had said there would be a full investigation in June
:32:40. > :32:43.course but said the focus must be an emergency response as the scale and
:32:44. > :32:48.magnitude of the incident develops, and of course in ensuring all those
:32:49. > :32:52.affected get the support they need. I mentioned that politics is more or
:32:53. > :32:56.less been put on hold for understandable reasons, has there
:32:57. > :33:01.been progress behind the between the DUP and Theresa May? There was
:33:02. > :33:04.expectation of a final agreement between the DUP and the
:33:05. > :33:15.Conservatives, because Theresa May and the DUP reader Arlene Foster met
:33:16. > :33:17.in Downing Street yesterday, the DUP sources this morning they thought it
:33:18. > :33:20.would be inappropriate to announce any deal in light of what happened.
:33:21. > :33:22.Theresa May said herself the talks are continuing, senior government
:33:23. > :33:26.sources say they are positive and are on track. This is not a delay
:33:27. > :33:29.because there was no deadline but it is worth bearing in mind that the
:33:30. > :33:33.Government is unlikely to press on with the State Opening of Parliament
:33:34. > :33:38.until the deal is reached so there is a sense of urgency but, for
:33:39. > :33:42.tonight, understandably, events are causing another pause in politics.
:33:43. > :33:44.Thank you, Alex Forsyth, with the latest at Westminster.
:33:45. > :33:46.We'll be back shortly, but in the meantime
:33:47. > :33:47.here's my colleague, Reeta Chakrabarti,
:33:48. > :33:53.In the day's other news, Tim Farron has resigned as leader
:33:54. > :33:58.Earlier today, the party's Home Affairs spokesman,
:33:59. > :34:00.Lord Paddick, stepped down saying he was unhappy about views
:34:01. > :34:05.expressed by Mr Farron during the election campaign.
:34:06. > :34:07.Our political correspondent, Vicky Young, reports.
:34:08. > :34:13.He's been leader of the Liberal Democrats for just two years.
:34:14. > :34:15.Today, surrounded by colleagues, Tim Farron announced he was stepping
:34:16. > :34:19.down because of the focus there'd been on his Christian faith.
:34:20. > :34:21.I have found myself torn between living as a faithful
:34:22. > :34:26.Christian and serving as a political leader.
:34:27. > :34:30.REPORTER: Could you tell us whether it's OK to be gay, Mr Farron?
:34:31. > :34:32.He said he felt guilty that questions about his religious views
:34:33. > :34:34.on gay sex and abortion had been a distraction during
:34:35. > :34:40.But do you think that having gay sex or being engaged
:34:41. > :34:45.OK, look, I'm not going to give you an answer to that
:34:46. > :34:47.question because I believe - Why not though?
:34:48. > :34:50.Well, and I'll tell you why I'm not going to give
:34:51. > :34:54.That is because one's personal faith is one's personal faith.
:34:55. > :34:57.What counts is your actions and your beliefs in politics.
:34:58. > :34:59.After days of pressure, he finally clarified that he didn't
:35:00. > :35:04.Today, Mr Farron made it clear he felt he'd been forced
:35:05. > :35:08.to make an unfair choice between politics and faith.
:35:09. > :35:11.I seem to have been the subject of suspicion
:35:12. > :35:14.because of what I believe and who my faith is in.
:35:15. > :35:17.In which case, we are kidding ourselves if we think we yet live
:35:18. > :35:23.Tonight, the Archbishop of Canterbury said Mr Farron
:35:24. > :35:26.was honourable and decent and if he couldn't be in politics,
:35:27. > :35:30.the media and politicians had questions to answer.
:35:31. > :35:32.This has clearly been a very difficult decision
:35:33. > :35:36.At the election he did make some progress increasing
:35:37. > :35:39.the number of Lib Dem MPs, but some saw the campaign
:35:40. > :35:41.as a wasted opportunity and they blamed the way he handled
:35:42. > :35:48.The party will now choose a new leader over the summer.
:35:49. > :35:54.Some of the day's other news in brief.
:35:55. > :35:57.Borough Market in London has reopened 11 days after the terror
:35:58. > :36:02.Traders held a minute's silence to remember the victims and said
:36:03. > :36:05.returning to their businesses marked the start of a "healing process"
:36:06. > :36:13.New figures show wages are continuing to fall behind inflation.
:36:14. > :36:17.Average earnings dropped by 0.6% for the three months to April.
:36:18. > :36:22.Unemployment fell by 50,000 over the same period.
:36:23. > :36:24.In the US state of Virginia, a senior Republican politician has
:36:25. > :36:27.been critically injured in a gun attack.
:36:28. > :36:30.Steve Scalise, a whip in the House of Representatives,
:36:31. > :36:32.was one of five people shot as they practiced for
:36:33. > :36:43.The gunman died after police returned fire.
:36:44. > :36:47.Let's go back now to west London and to Huw.
:36:48. > :36:50.Within a few hours of the fire starting, people were arriving
:36:51. > :36:52.at the shelters that have been set up here in churches,
:36:53. > :36:59.They were carrying food, clothes, water, handing out masks to people
:37:00. > :37:03.in the street to protect them from the acrid smoke.
:37:04. > :37:06.Our correspondent Elaine Dunkley tells us more about the way
:37:07. > :37:11.the local community came together to help.
:37:12. > :37:13.This church hall, a refuge for those who have nothing
:37:14. > :37:18.They've been overwhelmed with donations.
:37:19. > :37:21.Today we've been out, we've bought a load of phone
:37:22. > :37:24.chargers and we've given people the phone chargers to help them call
:37:25. > :37:27.loved ones and to make sure they're all safe and everyone knows
:37:28. > :37:33.We've also donated some money, we've given some money to some families.
:37:34. > :37:37.He withdrew ?1000 out of his account and we've been giving families ?100
:37:38. > :37:42.just to see them over the next couple of days.
:37:43. > :37:45.I mean, it's amazing how everyone has come out in the community,
:37:46. > :37:47.and it just shows you how people will stick together
:37:48. > :37:52.And how caring people are, they've been so caring.
:37:53. > :37:55.This hall is full of provisions, from shoes to toiletries.
:37:56. > :38:01.People are sharing their homes, others are offering their time.
:38:02. > :38:03.I see that London is still together and regardless
:38:04. > :38:06.of your background - I'm from Brazil -
:38:07. > :38:10.and where you come from, everybody got together.
:38:11. > :38:12.It is an amazing feeling that I have.
:38:13. > :38:15.In 15 minutes, this hallway, as you see, it is absolutely
:38:16. > :38:17.full of clothes, baby stuff, food, water.
:38:18. > :38:26.On another corner, just moments away from where people have
:38:27. > :38:28.lost their lives and others all their possessions,
:38:29. > :38:34.We've had bedding, headscarves, toiletries, everything you can think
:38:35. > :38:45.I have kids at the local primary and secondary,
:38:46. > :38:48.texts are coming in, new centres that are open, where
:38:49. > :38:54.You know, I happen to be nearby, so...
:38:55. > :38:57.I've got a seven-year-old and I was taking her to school this
:38:58. > :39:00.morning, and on that road where we walked to school,
:39:01. > :39:04.there was a very, very clear view of the tower and what was going on.
:39:05. > :39:07.The fire was sort of really going at that point early
:39:08. > :39:10.in the morning and she understands what's going on and so after school
:39:11. > :39:14.we came by here and she wanted to help load donations from this box
:39:15. > :39:17.into the van that's taking them on to the shelters where people
:39:18. > :39:23.This is an area where there is wealth, and those
:39:24. > :39:28.People from all backgrounds trying to do their best.
:39:29. > :39:33.Obviously it's not about who's rich and who's poor, as you can see.
:39:34. > :39:36.You will see people with suits and people with tracksuits,
:39:37. > :39:42.you know, just helping around and doing what they can do the best.
:39:43. > :39:43.There's also people here from different castes
:39:44. > :39:48.A lot of youth is involved as well, from what I can see.
:39:49. > :39:50.You can see a lot of students running around
:39:51. > :39:54.Yeah, we from the Sikh community are trying our best, making sure
:39:55. > :39:59.Tonight, many of the centres are providing food and beds.
:40:00. > :40:10.But this is just the beginning for families who are now homeless.
:40:11. > :40:17.Well, just behind me there are rows of tables laid out with food and
:40:18. > :40:20.people still arriving at community centres, donating bedding, pyjamas
:40:21. > :40:24.and sleeping bags. The council says it has provided emergency
:40:25. > :40:28.accommodation for 44 households affected by the fire, families with
:40:29. > :40:32.children, elderly residents and the most vulnerable have been given
:40:33. > :40:35.immediate priority. But so many families are desperate tonight and
:40:36. > :40:39.many people are working through the night, offering them support.
:40:40. > :40:46.Nearly 22 hours after the fire started, there are relatives
:40:47. > :40:48.and friends still urgently seeking people, in some cases
:40:49. > :40:53.entire families who are still unaccounted for.
:40:54. > :40:55.And they're using all means, especially social media,
:40:56. > :41:04.to try to raise awareness and make contact.
:41:05. > :41:07.Gene Kelly has been talking to some of them about those who are still
:41:08. > :41:09.missing. She was with her family on the 20th
:41:10. > :41:12.floor Grenfell Tower but in the mayhem she became
:41:13. > :41:14.separated from them. On a borrowed phone she told her mum
:41:15. > :41:18.she was on the stairs Her aunt has posted this picture
:41:19. > :41:23.on Twitter with the appeal, "if you see Jessie, please
:41:24. > :41:28.get in touch." Tony Disson, a retired lorry driver
:41:29. > :41:32.lived alone on the 22nd floor. At 3:30am he phoned one of his three
:41:33. > :41:36.sons and said he was being told On Facebook, one
:41:37. > :41:41.of his boys pleaded... "If anyone has seen my dad,
:41:42. > :41:45.could they let us know?" One family from the 17th
:41:46. > :41:48.floor has five missing. This lady here, with her grandmother
:41:49. > :41:52.and her grandfather. 82-year-old Ali Yawar Jafari
:41:53. > :42:04.has a heart condition. He made it down one floor in a lift,
:42:05. > :42:08.but was then told to get out and became separated
:42:09. > :42:10.from his daughter. She and her mother and sister
:42:11. > :42:12.managed to escape, but there's From the 14th floor,
:42:13. > :42:17.Dennis Murphy called his family at 1:30am saying he was struggling
:42:18. > :42:22.to breathe with the smoke. Half an hour later, he rang again
:42:23. > :42:25.saying he was in a neighbour's flat. Mariem Elgwahry, who is 27,
:42:26. > :42:32.is a marketing manager and lived Her friends posted this
:42:33. > :42:38.picture with the message... Mo Tuccu didn't live
:42:39. > :42:44.in Grenfell Tower, but with his wife and three-year-old daughter,
:42:45. > :42:48.he was visiting someone. As Muslims, the family had gone
:42:49. > :42:51.there to break their Ramadan fast. The people who love them have been
:42:52. > :43:03.plunged into the most terrible torment as desperate for news,
:43:04. > :43:05.they have been forced to wait Our home editor, Mark
:43:06. > :43:26.Easton, joins me again. What strikes you when you arrive in
:43:27. > :43:29.the area this evening, and in the surrounding streets, you see
:43:30. > :43:34.supplies everywhere, people just want to help, there is a tremendous
:43:35. > :43:38.community spirit? Extraordinary, hundreds if not thousands, as soon
:43:39. > :43:42.as they heard there was a problem, came out of their homes, gave what
:43:43. > :43:45.they could. Clothes, toiletries, food, anything from their own
:43:46. > :43:51.tables. They have been at it all day and fighting for their neighbours.
:43:52. > :43:57.This is a very diverse community and also a relatively poor community in
:43:58. > :44:00.a very rich part of London. Said to me they feel angry, they feel angry
:44:01. > :44:04.because they are convinced that this happened because that is a council
:44:05. > :44:08.block and it would not have happened if it was a mansion block. I think
:44:09. > :44:13.as well as an inquiry, which will have to look to see if any corners
:44:14. > :44:17.were cut, any mistakes were made, why it is in the 21st-century
:44:18. > :44:21.hundreds of people were living in what turned out to be a death trap,
:44:22. > :44:25.I think there will be a rebuilding job with the community. They will
:44:26. > :44:33.have to try to find ways of rebuilding the trust between the
:44:34. > :44:35.people in this area and those in authority. Thank you. Mark Easton at
:44:36. > :44:40.Groenefeld Tower this evening. That's all for tonight. Continuing
:44:41. > :44:41.coverage on the BBC News channel with any developments.
:44:42. > :44:44.Here, on BBC One, it's time for the news where you are.