:00:00. > :00:09.Tonight at six, a huge fire engulfs a tower block in London.
:00:10. > :00:12.At least 12 people have been killed, dozens injured, and the death toll
:00:13. > :00:24.The fire broke out just before 1 this morning -
:00:25. > :00:26.fire crews were on the scene just six minutes later.
:00:27. > :00:30.There is a dedicated line for this incident.
:00:31. > :00:40.Eyewitnesses say the flames engulfed the 24 story
:00:41. > :00:42.within 30 minutes, with people desperately trying to escape.
:00:43. > :00:43.There was smoke everywhere, literally everywhere.
:00:44. > :00:45.There were people downstairs, bits of the
:00:46. > :00:47.cladding were falling off the block that was on fire.
:00:48. > :00:56.The fire was still raging as dawn broke and it's feared many
:00:57. > :01:00.It was engulfed by this time, and maybe one or two
:01:01. > :01:02.windows weren't, and there were people in there.
:01:03. > :01:09.The London Fire Brigade desperately struggled to reach the upper floors,
:01:10. > :01:12.but were repelled by the heat and falling debris.
:01:13. > :01:16.This is a completely unprecedented fire.
:01:17. > :01:19.In my 29 years in the London Fire Brigade, I have never seen a
:01:20. > :01:24.fire of this nature - and I have seen many high-rise fires.
:01:25. > :01:26.Residents are sheltering in nearby community centres,
:01:27. > :01:38.The investigation begins into how the fire started,
:01:39. > :01:42.and how it was allowed to take hold with such devastating effect.
:01:43. > :01:45.Around 70 people are being treated in six London hospitals,
:01:46. > :01:50.20 people are in a critical condition.
:01:51. > :01:54.The fire is still burning - firefighters say it will still be
:01:55. > :02:08.We'll be bringing you the latest, in this extended programme.
:02:09. > :02:10.Stay with BBC News for all the developments from our
:02:11. > :02:31.correspondence. Good evening from West London
:02:32. > :02:34.where a huge fire is still burning after it engulfed this residential
:02:35. > :02:37.tower block in West London just but we are being told that figure
:02:38. > :02:45.is expected to rise. Firefighters managed to get
:02:46. > :02:47.a lot of people out and almost all the building has now
:02:48. > :02:50.been searched, but the Mayor of London says many
:02:51. > :02:52.are still unaccounted for. More than 70 people
:02:53. > :02:54.are being treated in six different hospitals,
:02:55. > :03:02.20 are critically ill. Grenfell Tower is part of a social
:03:03. > :03:05.housing complex of nearly 1,000 homes near the Westfield shopping
:03:06. > :03:09.centre in West London. It's 24 storeys high
:03:10. > :03:13.and in it were 120 flats. Up to 600 people may have been
:03:14. > :03:17.inside when the blaze broke out. The cause of the fire isn't yet
:03:18. > :03:24.known, but we do know the alarm was raised just before one
:03:25. > :03:26.o'clock this morning. Fire crews were on the scene six
:03:27. > :03:37.minutes after being called. Our first report on the tower
:03:38. > :03:40.block fire this evening A warning, there are
:03:41. > :03:43.distressing images It is a tragedy that
:03:44. > :03:48.plays to our darkest There was people downstairs,
:03:49. > :03:54.bits of cladding The fire started
:03:55. > :04:05.between midnight and 1am. The screams from the flats
:04:06. > :04:08.and the acrid smell of burning, It was just people
:04:09. > :04:15.jumping out, literally. And putting sheets
:04:16. > :04:17.down to try to get Windows exploding,
:04:18. > :04:21.big, massive pieces of We came here, saw
:04:22. > :04:28.people jumping off. People had jumped off
:04:29. > :04:31.because they had no other option. Someone was on fire
:04:32. > :04:37.and he jumped too. Some people picked up
:04:38. > :04:42.their children and threw them out for the police to pick them
:04:43. > :04:46.up because there was no other way I saw kids at the window shouting,
:04:47. > :04:56.help me, help me, I And all these people
:04:57. > :05:00.have lost people in their lives and I know
:05:01. > :05:02.how that feels, yes. The fire raced through the 24 story
:05:03. > :05:10.council block in this deprived On the seventh floor,
:05:11. > :05:15.this family were led to safety when a fire officer made
:05:16. > :05:18.it up to their flat. There was smoke everywhere,
:05:19. > :05:21.people screaming. There was a fireman there
:05:22. > :05:24.going, get out, get out. I ran back in in my boxer shorts,
:05:25. > :05:27.grabbed the little girl, put her under my dressing gown
:05:28. > :05:30.to cover her face from the smoke, got my girlfriend up,
:05:31. > :05:32.running down, got to the fourth floor
:05:33. > :05:36.and it was pitch black. This mother and her six-year-old
:05:37. > :05:38.son were also trapped For a moment, she thought
:05:39. > :05:41.her best option was to jump through the window
:05:42. > :05:45.with her child in her arms. For a split second, I had
:05:46. > :05:49.that temptation to jump You actually thought
:05:50. > :05:56.about jumping from And then your husband grabbed
:05:57. > :06:04.you and took you out? Yes, otherwise, my
:06:05. > :06:13.second thought was to Many residents have complained to me
:06:14. > :06:17.that the fire alarm was too quiet to hear and that the blaze raced from
:06:18. > :06:23.the bottom to the top of the block in less than 30 minutes. All the
:06:24. > :06:27.time we have lived here, they have said if there is a fire, you have to
:06:28. > :06:30.stay in the flat, the fire can't penetrate the front door. If we had
:06:31. > :06:36.done that, we would have perished. There was no way that was stopping
:06:37. > :06:39.no fire. Residents told me that they had complained to the authorities
:06:40. > :06:43.that the recently refurbished building was a disaster waiting to
:06:44. > :06:46.happen. We try to take a lot of things to our local MP. It looks
:06:47. > :06:50.like it has been ignored. We were scared that could happen. Because if
:06:51. > :06:56.one fire happened, we knew that this would happen. Deep poverty and
:06:57. > :07:00.extraordinary wealth by side-by-side in this part of north London. The
:07:01. > :07:07.block was home to some of Kensington's poorest families. With
:07:08. > :07:11.Dawn, Grimm, is expected news, that lives have been lost. I'm looking
:07:12. > :07:18.for my brother. You don't know if he is OK? Many people, numb with shock,
:07:19. > :07:23.frantically searched to find missing friends and relatives. This woman's
:07:24. > :07:33.sister and 12-year-old nephew were unaccounted for. My sister and her
:07:34. > :07:38.son. He is 12 years old. A 12-year-old boy?
:07:39. > :07:46.As well as the smoke and the smell of burning, numb shock and tension
:07:47. > :07:50.hangs over this area. In the 21st century, in a country with some of
:07:51. > :07:55.the strictest fire regulations in the world, a desperate tragedy like
:07:56. > :08:04.this just should not happen. What floor are you on!? Seven? Well into
:08:05. > :08:08.the morning, the crowds watching the horror unfolding in front of them
:08:09. > :08:17.reported seeing people still trapped in the block. I saw somebody there.
:08:18. > :08:22.Waving, in white. In a white shirt? Yes. Hayman was eventually brought
:08:23. > :08:27.out by the emergency services at noon. This off-duty nurse helped
:08:28. > :08:31.tend to some of the injured rescued from the building. I have seen some
:08:32. > :08:35.things, but today... I can't even describe it. There are mothers that
:08:36. > :08:42.have come out and lost their children. There are firefighters
:08:43. > :08:46.that have come out injured. We don't know if they are even going to come
:08:47. > :08:50.out safe. People have lost their homes, children have seen things,
:08:51. > :08:55.people jumping up the window. We just need to rebuild as a community
:08:56. > :08:58.now. As the community realised the enormity of what had happened,
:08:59. > :09:02.people just did what they could. This woman went to her wardrobe,
:09:03. > :09:07.grabbed a bag of her own clothes to give to those that had none. A bag
:09:08. > :09:12.of clothes, Jimmy, is nothing, when I can help somebody else. You know?
:09:13. > :09:18.This is a community where a lot of people don't have a lot. That
:09:19. > :09:21.generosity is quite something? Yes, but they are replaceable. My clothes
:09:22. > :09:30.are replaceable. We love our community. We are heartbroken for
:09:31. > :09:33.our community. This is terrible. This is a disaster for this
:09:34. > :09:37.community. But we are pulling together, the people that have
:09:38. > :09:47.nothing, we are giving things to people that have nothing. Sadly I
:09:48. > :09:51.can confirm that there are now 12 people that have died, that we know
:09:52. > :09:55.of. This will be a long and complex recovery operation. I do anticipate
:09:56. > :10:01.that the number of fatalities will, sadly, increase beyond those 12.
:10:02. > :10:04.This is a neighbourhood that feels ignored. There is anger on the
:10:05. > :10:10.streets. People are demanding answers. This is your building,
:10:11. > :10:14.isn't it? We have a number of high-rise buildings here and in
:10:15. > :10:20.other parts of London. We do have to meet stringent safety standards, and
:10:21. > :10:24.in a refurbishment there will be a thorough inspection. Doesn't seem to
:10:25. > :10:28.have worked? It clearly hasn't, we will have to get the bottom of what
:10:29. > :10:32.has gone wrong. The Mayor of London promised there will be a thorough
:10:33. > :10:35.and independent investigation into what happened. My thoughts and
:10:36. > :10:40.prayers, as I am sure the thoughts and prayers the entire country, with
:10:41. > :10:46.the family and friends of those in the building and affected by this
:10:47. > :10:52.and horrific fire. I would also pay tribute to the amazing emergency
:10:53. > :10:56.services, from the Fire Service, we have more than 250 firefighters,
:10:57. > :11:00.many of whom have been here since the beginning. The streets of North
:11:01. > :11:05.Kensington are littered with ashes. The charred ashes of homework of a
:11:06. > :11:08.school child. But the neighbourhood is also scarred by grief that will
:11:09. > :11:14.not pass for a long time. Throughout the night,
:11:15. > :11:18.stories emerged of people who'd escaped the tower block and watched
:11:19. > :11:21.the fire as it swept Many are now being sheltered
:11:22. > :11:24.in nearby community centres. And that's where family
:11:25. > :11:26.and friends of those who are missing are also heading -
:11:27. > :11:29.going from centre to centre Our special correspondent
:11:30. > :11:32.Lucy Manning has been talking to the families caught up
:11:33. > :11:45.in the tragedy. The air was punctuated with the
:11:46. > :11:54.sound of crying. Some have lost their home. Others, much, much more.
:11:55. > :11:58.They gathered outside the community centre. The one thing nobody could
:11:59. > :12:05.offer was good news. For this family, it was, understandably, to
:12:06. > :12:10.much. My mum, my sister, her daughters and husband. Yes. They are
:12:11. > :12:17.all still in the building. I don't know if they are out, we don't have
:12:18. > :12:29.any information. She gave us this picture of her three smiling neices.
:12:30. > :12:38.What floor were they on? The 27th. You haven't been able to contact
:12:39. > :12:41.them? I phoned my sister, all I could hear was screaming. I was
:12:42. > :12:46.trying to tell her, get out, get to the nearest fire exit. I am
:12:47. > :12:50.shouting, so she can hear. The police officers who had me shouting
:12:51. > :12:54.on the phone. I really just wanted to go in there, basically, do
:12:55. > :13:00.something. I felt helpless, standing there. A blanket, at least. People
:13:01. > :13:03.jumping at the window. In the last hour, she heard news that someone
:13:04. > :13:10.might have spoken to her family. She is hoping it is true. After the
:13:11. > :13:16.panic of the night, the day brought only silence. I haven't seen my
:13:17. > :13:24.brother-in-law, his wife and three children. The children are aged 20,
:13:25. > :13:33.the boy is 20. A girl of 16, 17. A boy of eight years. He spoke to them
:13:34. > :13:37.as they were I said, why are you not coming? She said, they asking us to
:13:38. > :13:42.stay. She said her husband was talking to the emergency people.
:13:43. > :13:46.They said, they are coming to get us, but the heat and smoke is
:13:47. > :13:51.coming. I said, get a wet blanket, but the kids on the floor and cover
:13:52. > :13:54.them and wait. She said, we can't do it, because the smoke is killing us,
:13:55. > :13:59.the smoke is coming. The spoke is coming through the doors. She is
:14:00. > :14:03.keeping covering it, but it is heavy. That was the last time we
:14:04. > :14:09.have heard from her. For those on the lower floors that did make it
:14:10. > :14:17.out, and to the centre, some relief. I woke up at about 12.45, hearing,
:14:18. > :14:25.help me, a woman screaming, my baby, my baby, and the sounds of chaos.
:14:26. > :14:31.The police were knocking on the doors, evacuate, evacuate. Week
:14:32. > :14:38.thought we had to get the hell out of here, it is going up. Ed was
:14:39. > :14:43.saved by his friend calling him and telling him to leave. The smoke was
:14:44. > :14:46.so thick, you couldn't see anything. I got three quarters of the way and
:14:47. > :14:51.then I was using my hands to feel against the wall. I began thinking
:14:52. > :14:55.to myself, this is going to be me, you know? I'm going to die of smoke
:14:56. > :15:00.inhalation. There was actually a fireman lying on the ground. This
:15:01. > :15:11.fireman, he saved my life. He just touched my foot and led me to wear
:15:12. > :15:14.the fire exit was. He was instrumental in raising concerns
:15:15. > :15:17.about the safety of the building years ago. This accident never
:15:18. > :15:27.needed to happen. If people listen to what we were saying, what the
:15:28. > :15:31.blog were saying, what members of the community were saying. Inside
:15:32. > :15:34.the centre, those waiting for news or that have lost their homes are
:15:35. > :15:41.covered downstairs in the hall. As you can imagine, it is a fairly
:15:42. > :15:45.distressing situation. At times, people are sobbing as they wait for
:15:46. > :15:50.news. News that, the stage, will possibly not be good news. It is
:15:51. > :15:55.also busy in there. They are getting help with housing, with food, and
:15:56. > :16:00.the medical help. They have no homes to go back to. Now, it is not just
:16:01. > :16:05.the burned-out building that looms over this community, but the fear
:16:06. > :16:11.that they will hear that many more of their neighbours have died.
:16:12. > :16:13.More than seventy people are being treated at six hospitals nearby.
:16:14. > :16:20.A hundred medical staff, ambulance, paramedics, doctors
:16:21. > :16:23.Our medical correspondent Fergus Walsh is outside
:16:24. > :16:33.St Mary's Hospital in Paddington with the latest.
:16:34. > :16:40.For the third time in as many months, London's medical staff have
:16:41. > :16:45.responded to a major emergency. The latest I have for you tonight is
:16:46. > :16:49.that 34 people remain in hospital. 18 of those are in a critical
:16:50. > :16:54.condition. Most suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation. The
:16:55. > :16:57.response to this fire has severely tested London's health-care system
:16:58. > :17:07.after what was described as a challenging and complex incident.
:17:08. > :17:11.Paramedics, trauma teams, and London's air ambulance were all
:17:12. > :17:17.involved in a highly coordinated response. The key was to stabilise
:17:18. > :17:22.patients and get them to one of six hospitals where a specialist teams
:17:23. > :17:27.were on stand-by. At Saint Mary 's we are caring for 16 patients. Three
:17:28. > :17:30.of whom are in a critical condition. At Charing Cross Hospital we have
:17:31. > :17:36.four patients, none of whom are critical. We are continuing to care
:17:37. > :17:41.for patients who are primarily suffering from the effects of smoke
:17:42. > :17:44.inhalation. Inhaling smoke can damage the lungs and airways and may
:17:45. > :17:50.also cause carbon monoxide poisoning. Specialist burns teams
:17:51. > :17:56.were on stand-by but it is understood they did not treat any
:17:57. > :18:02.casualties. 12 hours after it broke out, a toxic cloud was still
:18:03. > :18:05.billowing from Grenfell Tower, leading to concerned residents
:18:06. > :18:14.handing out face masks donated by local firms. We're raw inhaling
:18:15. > :18:20.toxic substances that were used to the building that we are aware of.
:18:21. > :18:27.-- we are all inhaling. Wherever you look in the surrounding area are
:18:28. > :18:29.these black, fragments. This children's playground is littered
:18:30. > :18:33.with pieces of debris which have floated down from the building and
:18:34. > :18:42.are what appear to be pieces of installation from the outside of the
:18:43. > :18:49.tower block. And you can taste the soot at the back of your throat. Is
:18:50. > :18:53.for the residents of Grenfell Tower. But there are also concerns for
:18:54. > :18:57.residents living nearby. We find it difficult to breathe. We felt like
:18:58. > :19:02.we were tasting the smoke. We don't know the damage in our lungs. We
:19:03. > :19:06.have lots of vulnerable residents, elderly people, people with severe
:19:07. > :19:11.disabilities, we are concerned for them, children, as well, children
:19:12. > :19:15.under the age of five. Saint Mary 's and Charing Cross hospitals save
:19:16. > :19:20.Democrat accident and emergency departments remain very busy. They
:19:21. > :19:27.have asked the public to ask walk-in centres or their GP unless it is an
:19:28. > :19:33.emergency. -- say their accident and emergency departments remain very
:19:34. > :19:37.busy. Within the last hour authorities have been giving an
:19:38. > :19:40.update on the number of casualties and the firefighting operation. Ben
:19:41. > :19:45.Brown was there. He joins us now from one of the police cordons. What
:19:46. > :19:48.is the latest? All of the emergency services were
:19:49. > :19:54.represented. They confirmed the death toll had doubled from six to
:19:55. > :19:58.12. They say they fear it will rise further as there are still people
:19:59. > :20:02.unaccounted for. 68 people were taken to hospital. Ten took
:20:03. > :20:08.themselves to hospital. 18 are in critical care. If we can show you
:20:09. > :20:15.the state of the building. There are still parts burning. The London Fire
:20:16. > :20:18.Brigade have said that they are still trying to distinguish those
:20:19. > :20:25.flames -- extinguish those flames that remain. They have a lot of work
:20:26. > :20:28.to do. They say that it is challenging inside. They have been
:20:29. > :20:35.to the top of the building, it is 24 stories high, they have been to the
:20:36. > :20:41.top floor on their search for survivors. They said that there were
:20:42. > :20:46.no survivors. But they did manage to rescue over 60 people.
:20:47. > :20:49.Thank you. Within just a few hours of the fire breaking out people were
:20:50. > :20:59.arriving at the shelters that have been set up hearing charges, sports
:21:00. > :21:04.and community centres. -- been set up here in churches.
:21:05. > :21:07.They were carrying food, clothes, water - handing out masks to people
:21:08. > :21:09.in the street to protect them from the acrid smoke.
:21:10. > :21:11.Elaine Dunkley has spent the day looking at the response
:21:12. > :21:17.People are still arriving with bags and boxes full of food and clothing.
:21:18. > :21:20.This area of London is diverse. It is wealthy but there are also people
:21:21. > :21:23.who do not have much. There are many faiths and beliefs working alongside
:21:24. > :21:27.each other. As well as offering each other possessions, they have been
:21:28. > :21:30.offering moral support. People have been embracing each other. Residents
:21:31. > :21:36.in this community have told me they have been overwhelmed by the
:21:37. > :21:39.generosity. This church hall a refuge for those who have nothing,
:21:40. > :21:44.and for those who want to get. They have been overwhelmed with
:21:45. > :21:49.donations. Today we have been out, we bought a lot of phone chargers,
:21:50. > :21:52.we gave them to people to call their loved ones and make sure they are
:21:53. > :21:58.all safe and everybody knows where everybody is. We've also donated
:21:59. > :22:04.money. We've given some money to some family. He took ?1000 out of
:22:05. > :22:07.his account. We have been giving families ?100 just to see them over
:22:08. > :22:11.the next couple of days. It's amazing how everybody has come out
:22:12. > :22:17.in the community. It shows you how people will stick together in a time
:22:18. > :22:24.like this. And help how caring people are, people have been so
:22:25. > :22:29.caring. People have been sharing their homes, others have been
:22:30. > :22:33.offering them a the time. Londoners are still together. Regardless of
:22:34. > :22:36.your background. I'm from Brazil. Wherever you come from, everybody
:22:37. > :22:45.has come together, it is an amazing feeling. Within 15 minutes this hall
:22:46. > :22:50.is full of clothes, stuff for baby, food, water, it's amazing. On
:22:51. > :22:54.another corner, just moments away from my people have lost the
:22:55. > :23:01.macrolides, and others their possessions, there are more
:23:02. > :23:04.supplies. -- from where people have lost their lives. We have food,
:23:05. > :23:14.toiletries, anything you can imagine. I have food here. I am
:23:15. > :23:20.receiving texts about where people can take their donations. I have a
:23:21. > :23:24.seven-year-old daughter. I took her to school this morning. On that road
:23:25. > :23:32.there was a clear view of the tower and what was going on. The fire was
:23:33. > :23:37.really going at that point early in the morning. She understands what is
:23:38. > :23:45.going on. After school she wanted to help give donations. They are being
:23:46. > :23:48.taken to the shelters where people are being looked after. This is an
:23:49. > :23:53.area where there is wealth and those who have little. People from all
:23:54. > :23:57.backgrounds are trying to do their best. This community is strong. It
:23:58. > :24:03.is not about who is rich and who is poor, as you can see. You see people
:24:04. > :24:08.in suits or tracksuits dealing with things, doing their best. People
:24:09. > :24:13.from different cast and colours. A lot of youth involved, as well, from
:24:14. > :24:16.what I can see. You can see lots of students running around, picking
:24:17. > :24:21.stuff up. Being from the Sikh community, we tried to do our best,
:24:22. > :24:24.we keep making sure there is water and aid everywhere. Such has been
:24:25. > :24:28.the response in North Kensington, the centre say they have enough. But
:24:29. > :24:37.for those who have lost everything they need has only just begun. --
:24:38. > :24:41.their need has only just begun. Oscar has lost everything, he has
:24:42. > :24:46.lived in this tower block for 35 years. You had a lucky escape. You
:24:47. > :24:50.were pretty low down, weren't you? Yes, I was very lucky. The luckiest
:24:51. > :24:58.one. I was one of the first to come out. How difficult was it for you to
:24:59. > :25:07.get out? How thick was the smoke? It was only about six minutes. The fire
:25:08. > :25:10.started from the flat below knee. My friends decided to try and put the
:25:11. > :25:16.fire out with an extinguisher, but it didn't work. -- the flat below
:25:17. > :25:24.me. The window in my flat was quite open. I was trying to throw water
:25:25. > :25:28.down, trying to put it out myself. We couldn't. I told my friends that
:25:29. > :25:33.we better leave, because we would get a better chance of leaving then.
:25:34. > :25:39.And the flames took hold so quickly, didn't they? Exactly. I went to my
:25:40. > :25:44.computer room, grabbed my passport, I was lucky to get my telephone, as
:25:45. > :25:49.well. Those were the only two magazines I could save from the
:25:50. > :25:56.inferno. And when you got outside, complete panic? -- those were the
:25:57. > :26:00.only two things I could save. The firemen work there. They were
:26:01. > :26:05.heroes. They were already inside. You were with your friend. Your
:26:06. > :26:14.daughter got out. And your friend's 's young daughter is still missing.
:26:15. > :26:18.Yes. They were up in the 17th floor. He was lucky he was in my house at
:26:19. > :26:24.that moment. But I don't know. Her mother was with her. They say the
:26:25. > :26:36.child is somewhere but they cannot find her. We went out. Some firemen,
:26:37. > :26:47.they had arrived in six minutes. Very fast. Fantastic. But there was
:26:48. > :26:57.not much else. Many people have said that already, but I was one of the
:26:58. > :27:02.first to notice. You could not move them with the fire engine. So
:27:03. > :27:07.difficult to get in. They lost a lot of time because of that. The fire
:27:08. > :27:17.was so quick. Like a squirrel going up a tree. Very fast. Thank you.
:27:18. > :27:20.An emergency number has been set up for anyone concerned for loved ones
:27:21. > :27:23.in the North Kensington fire the Casualty Bureau
:27:24. > :27:30.The cause of the fire is as yet, unknown.
:27:31. > :27:33.Kensington and Chelsea Council says it will be fully investigated
:27:34. > :27:36.and that the tower block was regularly inspected.
:27:37. > :27:43.Some residents say they had been warning about the risk
:27:44. > :27:46.Our Home Affairs Correspondent Tom Symonds reports
:27:47. > :27:48.on what the investigation into Grenfell Tower -
:27:49. > :27:59.That is what some residents believe Grenfell Tower was.
:28:00. > :28:07.Friends and relatives dead, injured fighting for their lives.
:28:08. > :28:09.They say, we told you something was going to
:28:10. > :28:12.The proof of that was not hard to find.
:28:13. > :28:14.This is a blog by the tower's residents
:28:15. > :28:44.We have repeatedly reported concerns to the
:28:45. > :28:48.Tenant Management Organisation of the Royal Borough of Kensington and
:28:49. > :28:50.Chelsea, including fire safety concerns that were not investigated
:28:51. > :29:06.Management Organisation in the 1990s, but complaints followed.
:29:07. > :29:08.They included concerns about this advice
:29:09. > :29:17.to residents, to stay put inside a flat if there was a fire outside.
:29:18. > :29:20.There were also reports of faulty safety equipment, power surges and
:29:21. > :29:39.Following what happened here, the management was issued with an
:29:40. > :29:43.enforcement order by the fire brigade. It set out a string of
:29:44. > :29:48.failings, failings to ensure preventative measures to properly
:29:49. > :29:53.assess the risk. Failure to offer a well marked escape route. And have
:29:54. > :30:05.emergency plan. People were angry then, now they are furious. Jose Has
:30:06. > :30:11.lived here 30 years. Some of his friends lived at the Grenfell Tower.
:30:12. > :30:20.It has just happened too often. Three towers, three fires? Within a
:30:21. > :30:24.year. What changes were made? They put signs up. They changed the
:30:25. > :30:30.doors, the fire doors, which they were not and basically that is it.
:30:31. > :30:35.Do you think that is enough? No. He has a smoke alarm in his flat but
:30:36. > :30:43.he's still worried there is not a central fire alarm, a concern also
:30:44. > :30:47.raised at the Glen -- Grenfell. It was last given a comprehensive fire
:30:48. > :30:51.assessment 18 months ago during its refurbishment when it was covered
:30:52. > :30:52.with new cladding, a common process, said the government has ordered
:30:53. > :31:01.wider checks tonight. We have discussed with the local
:31:02. > :31:07.authorities and the Fire Service a process whereby we seek to identify
:31:08. > :31:13.towers that might need a similar refurbishment, running checks so we
:31:14. > :31:15.can give reassurance to people. The investigation will begin once the
:31:16. > :31:21.exhausting task of putting out the inferno at the Grenfell Tower is
:31:22. > :31:22.complete. Getting to the bottom of wide spread so fast could take
:31:23. > :31:25.months. Millions of people around the world
:31:26. > :31:29.live in skyscrapers. The key question is how to keep
:31:30. > :31:33.those who live in them safe. As we've heard, Grenfell Tower
:31:34. > :31:35.was completely refurbished just last year and some fire safety experts
:31:36. > :31:38.have already pointed to cladding on the building as a likely reason
:31:39. > :31:44.the blaze spread so quickly. looks at the safety of tower blocks
:31:45. > :31:52.- and to what extent The wreckage of Grenfell House
:31:53. > :31:56.stands amid a cluster Like many cities around
:31:57. > :32:01.the world, London has seen Homes and offices, perched
:32:02. > :32:07.high above street level, with a host of safety rules designed
:32:08. > :32:15.to resist fire. But, eight years ago,
:32:16. > :32:18.a blaze at this tower block in south Southwark Council was fined
:32:19. > :32:21.for breaching fire regulations. And there are plenty
:32:22. > :32:23.of expert voices today saying that the lessons of what happened
:32:24. > :32:25.here at Lakanal House Lakanal House demonstrated
:32:26. > :32:29.that people were at risk The fire in west London last night,
:32:30. > :32:34.this morning, as demonstrated that they are still at risk
:32:35. > :32:37.in their own homes. These fires shouldn't be happening
:32:38. > :32:40.in 21st-century London. We've got the ability to stop
:32:41. > :32:44.them from happening, and when fires do break out,
:32:45. > :32:47.to restrict them to small areas One key question in the spotlight
:32:48. > :32:51.today is about the design of tower blocks, and how they are meant
:32:52. > :32:54.to keep people safe Normally, a fire hose can only
:32:55. > :33:00.reach about 15 metres. Grenfell Tower stands
:33:01. > :33:05.67 metres high. In America, they rely
:33:06. > :33:08.on what is called "active safety". Sprinklers fight fires in every
:33:09. > :33:12.room, but that can be expensive. The basic principle here,
:33:13. > :33:14.until recently, has been passive safety, designing the building
:33:15. > :33:16.to confine any blaze Another focus will be
:33:17. > :33:27.on the cladding fitted to the outside of the building,
:33:28. > :33:29.panels to improve insulation and the look of older buildings
:33:30. > :33:31.like Grenfell Tower. But dozens of fires have been linked
:33:32. > :33:35.to cladding around the world. Two years ago, a skyscraper
:33:36. > :33:37.in Dubai caught fire, New rules there have
:33:38. > :33:43.tightened up on the kind Investigators here will explore what
:33:44. > :33:50.role the cladding might have played. In the UK, it has to be what we call
:33:51. > :33:55.of limited combustibility. I am sure that is going to be
:33:56. > :33:58.questioned now, after this fire. What exactly that means,
:33:59. > :34:00.and what these types of cladding systems are adding to the fire load
:34:01. > :34:06.on the building. It was after the Second World War
:34:07. > :34:08.that councils and said by moving away from old terraced
:34:09. > :34:29.homes coming to new Their safety from fire depends on
:34:30. > :34:32.good design and careful maintenance. London's Mayor says people living in
:34:33. > :34:34.tower blocks will now need to be reassured.
:34:35. > :34:36.Literally every single floor was on fire, internally.
:34:37. > :34:40.You see one floor, two floors, and then a hopping
:34:41. > :34:42.from floor to floor, maybe, over a period of time.
:34:43. > :34:45.You would not normally see an entire facade on fire,
:34:46. > :34:47.then all of the interior on fire at the same time.
:34:48. > :34:53.So, the fire overcame whatever safety features were in place.
:34:54. > :34:55.Last year, the Government promised a review into fire
:34:56. > :34:57.safety in tower blocks, but then delayed it.
:34:58. > :34:59.This disaster now makes that work a priority.
:35:00. > :35:08.Well the blaze here overnight has meant that much of business
:35:09. > :35:12.in Westminster has been put on hold - including an announcement
:35:13. > :35:14.expected to confirm that the Democratic Unionists have
:35:15. > :35:16.agreed a deal to support the Conservatives in government.
:35:17. > :35:19.In a statement this morning Theresa May said she is "deeply
:35:20. > :35:25.saddened" by the loss of life in the tower block fire.
:35:26. > :35:28.And this was the reaction from the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn.
:35:29. > :35:32.It's the worst nightmare anyone can think of,
:35:33. > :35:39.And sympathy, support and solidarity to all those that
:35:40. > :35:43.are stuck in the tower, or that have managed to be rescued,
:35:44. > :35:46.or who have lost loved ones, or don't know what has happened
:35:47. > :35:51.And a huge thank you to the Fire Service,
:35:52. > :35:53.the police and ambulance, and all the other emergency services
:35:54. > :36:04.Let's speak to our political correspondent Alex Forsyth in
:36:05. > :36:07.Westminster. It has, as I say, put a lot of Westminster business on hold.
:36:08. > :36:12.Tell us more about the reaction today. As you heard, politicians are
:36:13. > :36:15.again finding themselves paying tribute to the emergency services in
:36:16. > :36:19.the wake of a tragic incident. You heard it from the Labour leader,
:36:20. > :36:24.Jeremy Corbyn. In a statement, the Prime Minister Theresa May said her
:36:25. > :36:26.thoughts were with those working tirelessly, in very difficult
:36:27. > :36:31.circumstances. She said she was deeply saddened by the loss of life.
:36:32. > :36:35.Through the day, she has been briefed on developments. There was a
:36:36. > :36:38.cross government meeting this afternoon to coordinate the
:36:39. > :36:42.Government's response and make sure the emergency services are getting
:36:43. > :36:45.the support they need. Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn has already suggested
:36:46. > :36:48.there will be questions about whether enough preventative measures
:36:49. > :36:54.were taken in the past. There is even talk of a public inquiry.
:36:55. > :36:58.Tonight, the Policing And Fire Minister Nick Hurd said there would
:36:59. > :37:00.have to be a process to understand what has happened. Initially, it is
:37:01. > :37:04.about dealing with the emergency response. I think we will hear more
:37:05. > :37:11.about this questions in the coming days. For now, the focus from
:37:12. > :37:15.politicians is about getting to support those affected. What about
:37:16. > :37:19.the deal with the Democratic Unionists? We know that the DUP met
:37:20. > :37:22.with Theresa May in Downing Street yesterday, to talk about the
:37:23. > :37:25.possibility of support to get key votes through Parliament. There was
:37:26. > :37:30.an expectation we would hear that a deal had been agreed sometime today.
:37:31. > :37:33.We had from DUP sources this morning that they felt it would be
:37:34. > :37:36.inappropriate, in light of what had happened. Senior government sources
:37:37. > :37:42.saying tonight that talks are continuing. They are positive and on
:37:43. > :37:48.track. But I think it is unlikely we will hear details of that over the
:37:49. > :37:53.next few days. Once again, politics understandably overshadowed by other
:37:54. > :37:56.events. Breaking political news, while we have been on air. The
:37:57. > :38:02.Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron has just announced he is stepping
:38:03. > :38:07.down as leader of the party. They won 12 seats in the general
:38:08. > :38:10.election, four more than in the previous election. But it was not
:38:11. > :38:15.the fightback the party hoped for. This is what he said a few moments
:38:16. > :38:20.ago. There are Christians in politics that take the view that
:38:21. > :38:23.they should impose the tenants of their faith on society. I have not
:38:24. > :38:29.taken that approach, because I fundamentally disagree with it. It
:38:30. > :38:32.is not liberal, and, actually, it is counter-productive when it comes to
:38:33. > :38:36.advancing the Gospel. Even so, I seem to have been the subject of
:38:37. > :38:42.suspicion because of what I believe, and who my faith is in. In which
:38:43. > :38:48.case, we are kidding ourselves we yet live in a tolerant, liberal
:38:49. > :38:55.society. That is why I have chosen to step down as leader of the
:38:56. > :38:58.Liberal Democrats. Vicki Young is at the Lib Dem HQ in Westminster, where
:38:59. > :39:01.Tim Farron has just been speaking. It has to be said, given the events
:39:02. > :39:10.here overnight, does seem rather strange timing? Yes, that is right.
:39:11. > :39:15.He says he made a decision in recent days and weeks. But obviously it is
:39:16. > :39:18.a day when there is lots of other news around. Nevertheless, he is the
:39:19. > :39:23.first to now to say he is standing down after the general election. He
:39:24. > :39:26.has been made for two years. He made it very clear that he took personal
:39:27. > :39:30.responsibility. As he said at the beginning of the general election
:39:31. > :39:34.campaign, questions about his faith, his Christianity, asked again and
:39:35. > :39:38.again, whether he thought that gay sex was a sin. He said some of his
:39:39. > :39:43.answers could have been better. He also said he he felt guilty about
:39:44. > :39:48.the fact it distracted from the campaign. They did gain seats, but
:39:49. > :39:52.maybe not as big a breakthrough are some hoped. He spoke at length about
:39:53. > :39:56.the quandary he felt in, that he felt torn between being a committed
:39:57. > :40:00.Christian and a political leader. Two years into the job, he is going.
:40:01. > :40:06.There will now be a leadership contest, as we go into the summer.
:40:07. > :40:10.There are new MPs, and old faces. People like Vince Cable, back in
:40:11. > :40:15.Parliament. People like Jo Swinson and Ed Davey. The party will now go
:40:16. > :40:18.forward into the leadership contest. Vicki Young, with breaking news from
:40:19. > :40:23.Westminster. Now it is time for a look at the weather.
:40:24. > :40:28.With high pressure for England and Wales, you can see this is where
:40:29. > :40:32.there has been most of the sunshine. Low pressure close by, Scotland and
:40:33. > :40:37.Northern Ireland. Cloudy here, still some sunny spells. Despite the
:40:38. > :40:42.cloud, most places have a dry day. Overnight, outbreaks of rain pushing
:40:43. > :40:45.back into Northern Ireland. But especially west of Scotland, heavy
:40:46. > :40:50.bursts later in the night. Clear spells elsewhere, quite a muggy
:40:51. > :40:56.night, where temperatures reached the mid-20s. A lot of cloud in the
:40:57. > :41:01.West tomorrow to begin with. This weakening weather system pushes east
:41:02. > :41:04.during the day. Just a few showers. Introducing behind it slightly
:41:05. > :41:08.cooler but fresher feeling hair. This is the picture at 4pm.
:41:09. > :41:12.Temperatures down just a few degrees, compared with today. Still
:41:13. > :41:17.some sunshine. Patchy cloud working through. Mostly dry. A breezy day
:41:18. > :41:21.and fresher feeling during the afternoon. The odd shower popping up
:41:22. > :41:24.in northern England, more especially for Northern Ireland and into
:41:25. > :41:30.Scotland. Not everybody will catch a shower, but if you do it could be
:41:31. > :41:33.thundery. Temperatures into the mid-teens. Tomorrow evening, still
:41:34. > :41:37.some showers across the northern half of the UK. As we going to
:41:38. > :41:41.Friday, much of the South and East will be dry. Broken cloud and
:41:42. > :41:44.sunshine. Another weather system brushing the north-west with cloud,
:41:45. > :41:50.outbreaks of rain, a stronger breeze. It is north-western part of
:41:51. > :41:55.the UK, as we going to the weekend, that will see these weather systems
:41:56. > :41:58.moving through. Breezy, cloudy, cooler. Elsewhere over the weekend,
:41:59. > :42:02.high pressure builds in and temperatures rise once again,
:42:03. > :42:05.turning warmer, with parts of south-east England by Sunday near 30
:42:06. > :42:08.Celsius. That is the latest forecast, back to you.
:42:09. > :42:15.Thank you very much. Before we end the programme, let's go to one of
:42:16. > :42:20.the community centres that has been opened to help people who have lived
:42:21. > :42:24.here and lost everything, lost their homes.
:42:25. > :42:30.Lucy Manning is there. What is so striking is that there still seem to
:42:31. > :42:36.be so many people, missing so many people being searched for?
:42:37. > :42:39.Unfortunately, that is right. You walk around the streets here today
:42:40. > :42:44.and it goes without saying that there is a real sense of grief.
:42:45. > :42:50.Everybody is talking about who they know that was in the block and where
:42:51. > :42:53.they might be now. Frankly, not everybody is accounted for and they
:42:54. > :42:58.expect that there will be more deaths. I have spent most of the
:42:59. > :43:01.afternoon and all morning in the community centre behind me, in the
:43:02. > :43:06.basement in the hall, tables are set out. Families at each table. Some of
:43:07. > :43:10.the families are telling me they felt very lucky. They have lost
:43:11. > :43:14.everything, their homes, all of their possessions, but they had at
:43:15. > :43:18.least made it out alive. On other tables, families more quiet, on
:43:19. > :43:21.phones, trying to speak to relatives that they had sent around the
:43:22. > :43:27.hospital is looking for other relatives. We kept popping back and
:43:28. > :43:32.saying, any news? There was a sad shake of the head. They just want
:43:33. > :43:37.information. Unfortunately, that is the one thing that there isn't at
:43:38. > :43:40.the moment. Along with the grief and sadness, there is also anger.
:43:41. > :43:44.Speaking to some of the residents, they are some of the same people
:43:45. > :43:51.that raised concerns, as they think, about the safety in the tower block.
:43:52. > :43:56.The residents are angry that nothing was done and a fire happened, that
:43:57. > :44:00.this has happened to them. Also, a real sense of community here. People
:44:01. > :44:06.are helping out. There has been an amazing response at the community
:44:07. > :44:10.centre. People here, I think, it has been a very, very difficult day for
:44:11. > :44:18.them. People on the street want answers. It is the one thing that
:44:19. > :44:21.can't be given to them. I think it is true, very unfortunately, that
:44:22. > :44:25.some of the people that are missing, perhaps many of them, the death toll
:44:26. > :44:31.is going to rise and we will not have any good answers for them at
:44:32. > :44:35.all. Lucy Manning, thank you. What we know now is that at least 12
:44:36. > :44:40.people have died. Dozens have been injured. The death toll, we are
:44:41. > :44:47.being told, is expected to rise. We will have an -- continuing coverage
:44:48. > :44:48.throughout the