Hundreds evacuate ‘unsafe’ UK towers

Fire safety crisis forces people out of public housing

BRITAIN’S fire-safety crisis expanded as officials scrambled to evacuate four massive public housing towers in London due to concerns about flammable external cladding, problematic fire doors and insulation around gas pipes.

Hundreds of residents hastily packed their bags and sought emergency shelter, with many angry and confused about the chaotic situation.

Some refused to leave their high-rise apartments. Scores of evacuees slept on inflatable beds in a nearby gym while officials sought better accommodations for them.

Camden Council said it decided to evacuate buildings on the Chalcots Estate after fire inspectors reported that the blocks were “not safe for people to sleep in overnight”.

Council leader Georgia Gould said fire inspectors uncovered problems with “gas insulation and door stops,” which, combined with the presence of flammable cladding encasing the high-rises, meant residents had to leave immediately.

The evacuation came amid growing worries about the safety of high-rise apartment blocks across the country following the inferno at Grenfell Tower in London on June 14, which killed at least 79 people.

The Government said cladding samples from 27 high-rise apartment blocks, from cities such as London, Manchester, Plymouth and Portsmouth, had failed fire safety tests.

So far, Camden Council had been the only local authority to ask residents to leave as a precaution. It said about 650 apartments were evacuated, though initial reports had said it affected as many as 800 apartments. The council said residents would be out of their homes for three to four weeks while it completed upgrades.

“I know some residents are angry and upset, but I want to be very clear that Camden Council acted to protect them,” Gould said. “Grenfell changed everything.”

Prime Minister Theresa May said that the Government was supporting Camden Council officials to ensure residents had somewhere to stay. Labour Opposition leader Jer- emy Corbyn said May needed to “get a grip” and lead a stronger response to what was now a “national threat.”

Renee Williams, 90, who had lived in Taplow Tower since 1968, said: “No official came and told us what’s going on. I saw it on the TV. It’s unbelievable. I understand that it’s for our safety but they can’t just ask us to evacuate with such short notice. There’s no organisation and it’s chaos.”

Other residents were distraught that they were ordered to evacuate but were told to leave their pets behind. AP