UK police to press manslaughter charges

LONDON: Police investigating the Grenfell Tower fire say they may press individual manslaughter charges — which could see those responsible for the disaster jailed.

Corporate manslaughter charges may also be looked at, police previously said.

Officers are also probing eight cases of fraud involving people who claimed money after the disaster and four possible thefts from flats on the lower levels of the Tower while it was under 24-hour security, according to a spokesperson.

Police now believe that the death toll from the blaze on 14 June “may come down a little bit” from the current estimate of around 80, due to the recoveries made from the tower, the number of identifications made and video evidence from the night.

Commander Stuart Cundy said the progress made in terms of recovering remains was “much higher” than he had expected three months ago.

Some 60 of the estimated 80 people killed in the fire have been formally identified, he said, adding that the exact figure would not be known until the investigation was complete.

CCTV viewed by police showed that 240 people left the tower between midnight and 8am on the night of the fire.

But, he said, there could still be people with no social or family connection outside of the tower, and not on any official lists, who therefore could still be within the high-rise. He declined to put a number on how many the death count could fall by.

Police have also seized 31 million documents and 2,500 exhibits as part of their investigation so far, as well as identifying 336 different organisations with “varying degrees of involvement” as part of the construction, refurbishment and management strands.