Grenfell Tower

[RhythmAndStealth]

Watching the news just now and I can't believe my eyes. It looks absolutely horrific.

I want to think everyone got out safe, but sadly I just can't.

Some of the news reports are about alleged poor safety standards and dangerous living conditions. If that's true it just beggars belief.

*Today 09:28 OnionKnight

Surely they legally have to have a sprinkler on a building that size?!

The government had been resisting advice to install them in buildings of this type/size.*

I just don't understand there thinking ! I had to install all sorts of safety kit and my property was only 3 storeys.

Councils are quite happy to make private landlords dip into their own pockets ( which I had no problem doing ) but won't do the same .

My understanding is the fire shot up the lift shafts, which would have added to the "stay inside" advice.

Nana you shouldn't use lifts in the event of a fire. In some of our blocks when the main fire alarm is activated the lifts shut down. The fire service have a switch that they can use to reactivate the lifts for their use if it's safe to do so.

All the fire, health and safety precautions in the world don't help if shoddy, substandard and downright dangerous materials are used to cover THE ENTIRE BUILDING.

I'm so angry and sad for those poor people. Jus terrible. No words really. I'm praying all those who made it to the hospital are doing ok. And thinking of the fire fighters and their families too. I'm not in London so can't take anything like food or kids clothes down to the evacuation centre, does anyone know if there is a go fund me or something yet?

"No one expected the thing to go up like a candle"

Except it seems many people DID expect this to happen.

Sprinkler systems are very expensive.... and need a water source

My place of work has sprinkler system.... 2 huge water towers supply it. And it's a moderate sized store

This is DH's specialist subject and he is saying that the cladding will not have caused the fire to spread
There will have been proper separation barriers installed which will prevent the spread of fire

It is far more likely that there will have been old wooden partitions in the flats and they will have ignited very quickly and caused the fire to spread

Still no update on the elderly gentleman

Sorry but I'm furious now, people warned that it was a fire hazzard and gov advice was not to have sprinklers this shouldn't have happened at all

Piers just said they haven't seen the older man for an hour and there is no news. Looks like he's perished. .

The stories people are telling are devastating.

I live next to 5 huge tower blocks that they have just spent 1.5 years putting new cladding on. It looks worryingly similar.

Tv reporters are getting really angry.... don't blame them at all..... but never heard reporters being like this before

It's my understanding that if a fire started in one of the flats then it should have been isolated to that flat, instead it spread like fucking wildfire

Rugby Portobello Trust is also sheltering people and co-ordinating supplies: www.facebook.com/events/137832423435906/

Ffs sprinkler systems maybe expensive, but we are talking about 50+ people killed! Peoples lives are priceless

Eye witness es are saying the cladding was on fire and causing the spread..

sparechange have you see the footage from approx 1 -2 am?

I think it will take a while to know exactly what caused the fire and why it spread so quickly. There will be a full investigation into this but there're a lot of conflicting reports and a lot of speculation being reported as fact.

polomino that was the other thing, i want to help but like you say they have slightly more pressing issues than some numpty turning up with some clothes and toys. It will also give me a chance to give them another proper going through
.

There are various GoFundMe accounts, but I'd wait and see if an "official" one emerges, co-ordinated by some recognised body (like the Manchester Evening News recently). It's all a bit chaotic at the moment.

This is a mail comment, it feels very true to me

Another Tory disaster! Im a firefighter and the last labour government started a campaign to knock down every tower block in the country. The Tories took power and stopped it for cheap housing. High rises are death traps. No question. As a bare minimum they should have sprinkler systems.

It's horrifying-the stuff of nightmares. Those poor, poor people. Why does it always need a tragedy like this to happen before those in authority take action?

And our incredible emergency services continue to risk their lives to save others , even while struggling to maintain the same level of service through budget cuts, loss of fire stations and staffing cuts.

We're supposed to be a civilised, developed nation- what on earth has our country come to when so many people live in homes which are death traps?

My heart goes out to those affected by this terrible event.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/london-fire-government-tower-block-fire-safety-regulations-review-endanger-live-grenfell-tower-north-a7789006.html
London fire: Government was warned it was endangering lives after delaying review of tower block fire safety regulations

Rugby Portobello Trust
1 hr ·
We're putting together a list of what supplies are needed and will let everyone know asap. RPT's doors are open for those needing shelter or support.
Please use the 'GRENFELL TOWER RESIDENTS AT RPT' event page to let us know if you have/need supplies or to find out about people sheltering at RPT.
We will let everyone know as soon as possible what is needed. We suspect there will be many people needing long-term support and supplies and to be most effective in supporting them, we're asking everyone to please hold off on dropping anything to RPT until we can put together a list of what is needed.
#GrenfellTower

Fire brigade commander is telling residents to report themselves to the police so that they can assess who's missing.

My fear is that there will be some flats that have been illegally sub-let so the authorities won't have them registered as living there.

Talk of a collapse, I almost can't watch it anymore. Why are firefighters still inside on the top floors? Remember 911

Norman Smith @ BBCnormans
"We rescued large numbers of people" - Fire chief #grenfelltower