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.

CFSKate There were reports that it was Muslim's who were awake breaking / starting their fast who raised the alarm first.

I'd like to know the likely cause before getting political. Because I want to blame the people who are to blame, not guess who might be.

Several eyewitness accounts of it starting with a domestic appliance in a 4th floor flat catching fire. If that is true, was that power surge or faulty machine?

Then why did the building go up so quickly? They had money for major refurbishments recently, it seems. So not a straightforward cash question, more a question of why did spending that money produce dangerous results?

It's just awful; beyond comprehension. Those poor poor people

The emergency services must be stretched to their limits, really feel for them.

I feel humbled and hopeful listening to community members and eye witnesses, they all seem so dignified, articulate, genuine and like a tight community. Humane.

Not quite the picture the daily fail and some narrow minded individuals in the home counties like to paint of London.

What a terrible decision to have to make when I'm sure your brain goes into overdrive. Either stay put and hope you are rescued within the half hour that your door holds back the fire or make a run for it .

How awful, I'm amazed that there are no fire escapes on these buildings, sort of like what they have in America?

Thoughts are with everyone involved.

“If buildings are built and maintained correctly, walls, floors and doors in flats and maisonettes give you protection from fire – a minimum of 30 to 60 minutes – so, if there is a fire elsewhere in the building but not inside your home you’re safer staying in your flat unless heat or smoke is affecting you. Stay put and call 999,” he said.

This was from Dan Daly , LFB assistant commissioner in February this year , speaking about the fire at Lanakal House in Camberwell that killed six , three of them children , in 2009 .

But that's the if , isn't it . And looking at what residents have been saying , it doesn't appear to have been the case .

"I think it's disgusting people are turning this tragedy into political point scoring; the tower was actually built whilst a Labour government was in power."

carol, forgive me but can you see the irony here?

IfNot is spot on.

There should be immense anger that this has happened, people have died needlessly as a result of the intense austerity inflicted on the poorest in society. I am sure we will soon have some insincere claptrap being spouted by TM soon.

Private landlords feel the full weight of the law, councils dont prosecute themselves.

Exactly, I faced a £20,000 fine if I didn't put a fire system in.

ifnot its exactly the same in London, they are broke. They are housing people 200 miles away just to get them housed. Kids having to leave schools and family, support networks, jobs.
They are haemorrhaging money to private landlords, because there just isn't the social housing anymore.
Fuck the big houses, the fancy new estates sold out house prices only landlords can afford. Thats not what we need. We need social houses.

That blog by the Grenfall Action Group is thoroughly chilling.

I think it's disgusting people are turning this tragedy into political point scoring; the tower was actually built whilst a Labour government was in power.

Oh , No. Fuck that. It's not fucking "point scoring". It's not a fucking GAME!!! And it's not about when the tower was built. It's about the lack of money to properly maintain buildings, and protect people!
So, people are dying, and we should just accept it as a natural disaster?
Do you have ANY idea just how badly councils are struggling to even cover the basics?
I am so angry and upset right now-this is not someone going " aha! How can we turn this to our advantage" this is someone who is horrified at the amount of human suffering so many people seem to be willing to accept before they say "actually, this is WRONG!"

I'm out, going to gather together some stuff to donate.

intense austerity inflicted on the poorest in society.

FFS. It may have been caused by a faulty fridge. That has nothing to do with austerity; it could be that a plug socket was overloaded. Or that it was one of those Beko fridges that was recalled a couple of years back.

Rose Yes, I can. Don't worry.

Has there been anything from no10 yet? I've seen responses on Twitter from Corbyn and Farron, Khan has been interviewed as Mayor of London, but nothing from May or the Conservatives.

Are they using the time to negotiate with the DUP while no one is watching - or have I missed something?

A faulty fridge may take one flat down, there should be safety precautions. If the cladding is sub standard- no doubt cheaper, then yes this is to do with cuts!

Reports of a baby being dropped from a 10th floor window and being caught.

The look on the people trapped was death.

This is directly the fault of cuts to social housing and cuts to councils.

My partner sees it on a daily basis all over London.
Both private and social housing, tower blocks and flats running on ancient "at risk" wiring and gas systems, and nothing is done to replace them, just ad hoc repairs.
The residents of Grenfell were complaining of dangerous and severe power surges for years.
That can't be coincidence.

Coral a faulty fridge should not have led to that inferno.

Before I go, something else occurs to me-the fact that these type of buildings are being re clad on the outside, so as not to cause offence to the people buying million quid houses near by and don't want to look at unsightly council blocks...so the councils are also to blame for their fucked priorities.
I hope to God my crumbling council house is safe but who knows, eh?

They're discussing the 'stay put' policy on This Morning but fire doors only hold for 30 minutes. This fire raged for 9 hours !

The man and his family on Victoria D now, talking about accountability. 1 fire escape for the whole building.

A report on R4 just said that a resident threw a lit cigarette which caught light to their neighbour's clothes hung out to dry on the balcony below.

Fire seems to have picked up again