Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
News
Original poster

Grenfell Tower tragedy continued

999 replies

RhythmAndStealth · 14/06/2017 23:17

Twelve people confirmed dead with that number expected to rise significantly.

Many others injured and distressed. People have lost relatives, friends and their homes.

250 firefighters in attendance, risking their lives in an unprecented fire and it's aftermath. Other emergency services and NHS staff working hard to help survivors.

Many questions to be answered.

Flowers to all those affected and everyone helping.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
HemanOrSheRa · 15/06/2017 09:03

Does anyone know whether K&C council have implemented a major incident plan? There has been a lot of coverage on the local community and various groups providing support but nothing that I saw about what the local council are and should be doing, which has shocked me.

kirinm · 15/06/2017 09:07

I saw on the news last night someone saying that nobody knew what the Council were planning as there was nobody from the Council at the scene.

SerfTerf · 15/06/2017 09:08

@HemanOrSheRa
"The Council activated its major emergency plan in the early hours of this morning and has been working with the emergency services since to support the rescue and relief operation."

www.rbkc.gov.uk/newsroom/all-council-statements/fire-grenfell-tower

CoralDreamscapes · 15/06/2017 09:09

kirinm There were people from the council there.

SerfTerf · 15/06/2017 09:09

They claim that they're doing all the obvious things. Maybe they're contriving to do them out of the reach of the journalists.

kirinm · 15/06/2017 09:12

Coral - that wasn't being reported when I watched the news but I've not watched or read much since last night. Why is it being left to charities to temporarily house people in halls?

BigYellowJumper · 15/06/2017 09:15

kirinm yeah, Theresa May's weird non-response seemed pretty fucked up to me, but when I saw people saying that the council were nowhere to be seen - well, that's just another level.

Let's not just sigh and shake our heads and say nothing will change. It seems hopeless, but I feel like so many people in the UK are angry and getting angrier. They see how normal people are treated and they want it to change. Please let's attend meetings, form pressure groups, go to protests. Let's put pressure on them until they HAVE to change things.

HemanOrSheRa · 15/06/2017 09:15

Thanks Serf. It just seemed to me that there was no coordinated effort to support people amongst the chaos and I didn't see a council spokesperson interviewed about what they are doing which I find very odd.

GavelRavel · 15/06/2017 09:17

Huffington Post have sources projecting over 100 dead which seems.more likely, tragically. I really, really hope there are eventual prosecutions and fines at the end of this.

expatinscotland · 15/06/2017 09:17

'People are hugely traumatised. Temporary accommodation with others may well be hugely preferable to being isolated and alone in a hotel room.'

Bullshit! There's no way to generalise about that. I sure as fuck didn't want to be bedding down in a fucking gym hall after my DD died. But hey, these people don't deserve the choice, 'Would you prefer some privacy in a hotel or this lilo on the floor in a gym hall?', do they? Hmm

CoralDreamscapes · 15/06/2017 09:17

kirinm The council are trying to house people in hotels; remember they are housing in access of 3000 people now I believe - in what is pretty much one of the busiest times in London (North America is on Summer holiday). The councils (and all neighbouring councils are helping) can't just snap their fingers and get everyone a hotel room; it's a logistical nightmare and they are trying to do everything else as well (like figure out who was actually in each property).

BigYellowJumper · 15/06/2017 09:18

gavel fines? For letting x number of people die?

I hope people end up in jail, or there's no justice in this world.

SerfTerf · 15/06/2017 09:18

I suspect it's deliberate. It's quite impressive that they're pulling off both a low profile AND a relief effort really the weasels

CoralDreamscapes · 15/06/2017 09:19

expatinscotland I don't think those that have had a member of their family die are in the community halls.

HemanOrSheRa · 15/06/2017 09:23

I suspect it's deliberate. It's quite impressive that they're pulling off both a low profile AND a relief effort really

Hmmmm. Yes it is, isn't it.

RockyBird · 15/06/2017 09:29

I'll say again, it's not impossible (or even that difficult) to house 100s of displaced people/families. Airlines do it all the time.

I feel the authorities have been given leave to sit back and save money just because the response has been so good and well publicised.

Gym hall floor, my arse.

expatinscotland · 15/06/2017 09:29

'I don't think those that have had a member of their family die are in the community halls.'

We have no way of knowing that. And it shouldn't matter. They weren't offered a choice at any rate.

kirinm · 15/06/2017 09:31

Ironic isn't it that the Borough has one of the largest number of empty houses. Not much ever done about that.

I'm disgusted by the relief effort. The offer of sofas etc is obviously very welcome but I fear that these people who have lived in that borough - very clearly in a close community - will be shipped out to other boroughs / counties and won't ever get to return.

MumIsRunningAMarathon · 15/06/2017 09:32

Empty HA houses or empty large houses owned privately by rich neighbours?

user1496484020 · 15/06/2017 09:33

For reference, W11 is highly desirable.

www.houser.co.uk/flat-156,-grenfell-tower,-grenfell-road,-london-w11-1tq-p33758082

2 bed flat in Grenfell - estimated price £698k

Obviously the less fortunate LA tenants will be like myself, with fuck all to live off.

Also, I worked for a body who was in charge of a massive project across London. Each area in London contained a 'profile' so to speak of the residents of the area. E.g. The residents are vociferously opposed to these works and are highly vocal and mobilised.

LA's are very aware of who they can ignore and who they can't.

CoralDreamscapes · 15/06/2017 09:34

expatinscotland There are some people in hotels currently; some people have already been offered hotels.

kirinm · 15/06/2017 09:34

Not empty HA!

SailAwayWithMeHoney · 15/06/2017 09:38

I don't live in a high rise, I live in a 1st floor 1950s built flat. One of my internal doors has a filled in hole left by previous tenants and has now come off the hinges. My housing association will not fix it. These are meant to be fire doors. If there was a fire there is one way out of my flat unless we cling out on to the roof. When my smoke alarm broke the HA wouldn't come out and fix it, I rang the fire service to do it instead. Had the same problem in a different HA (ground floor in a tower) the entire new build has adult fire alarms that would go off constantly for no reason, setting off the main communal alarm. HA did nothing. Fire service came out and fitted a new alarm in my flat after I had to unplug the existing one. Housing associations and councils seem to play by different rules. The LA for Grenfell's reaction to their residents concerns bout safety doesn't even surprise me. But it does need to change. They could have and should have done more.

It's been said many times but it looked like the fire spread up the outside of the building, sprinklers would not have done a lot in that instance, but there was a catalogue of failures which enabled that fire to take hold the way it did.

SailAwayWithMeHoney · 15/06/2017 09:39

Had not had adult

ShushAlexa · 15/06/2017 09:40

I am utterly distraught and appalled at this awful, awful tragedy.

I sincerely can't believe that this has happened to fellow Londoners.

If it is true that politicians and council leaders have acted neglectfully they must be brought to justice, but will they?

This is a national tragedy.

Why has Theresa May not visited the victims?