Tower fire cladding may have been illegal in UK
THE new exterior cladding used in a renovation on London’s Grenfell Tower may have been banned under UK building regulations, two British ministers have revealed as police continued their criminal investigation into the inferno that killed at least 58 people.
Trade Minister Greg Hands said the government was carrying out an “urgent inspection” of the roughly 2500 similar tower blocks across Britain to assess their safety, while an Opposition MP urged the government to quickly secure documents in the Grenfell renovation for detectives.
Yesterday, police released three photos from inside Grenfell Tower, which showed in close detail how the fire charred the 24-story building that once housed up to 600 people in 120 apartments.
Experts believe the building’s new exterior cladding, which contained insulation, helped spread the flames quickly up the outside of the public housing last week. Some said they’d never seen a building fire advance so quickly.
Mr Hands and Treasury chief Philip Hammond said in separate TV appearances that the cladding used on Grenfell seemed to be prohibited by British regulations.
Mr Hands cautioned that officials did not yet have exact details about the renovation that ended just last year.
“My understanding is that the cladding that was reported wasn’t in accordance with UK building regulations,” Mr Hands told Sky News.
“We need to find out precisely what cladding was used and how it was attached.”
Aluminium cladding with insulation sandwiched between two panels has been blamed for helping to spread flames in major fires in many parts of the world, including Europe, Asia and the US.
Labour Party MP David Lammy demanded the government and police immediately seize all documents relating to Grenfell’s renovation to prevent the destruction of evidence that could show criminal wrongdoing.
“The Prime Minister needs to act immediately to ensure that all evidence is protected so that everyone culpable for what happened at Grenfell Tower is held to account and feels the full force of the law,” Lammy said.