Final death toll for tower block inferno is 71

LONDON: The final death toll from the fire that destroyed the Grenfell Tower social housing block in London in June was 71, police said yesterday, after five months of painstaking search and recovery operations.

Police had previously said about 80 people died in the blaze, which tore through the 24-storey tower in west London in the middle of the night, but officers now believe all those who died have been recovered and identified.

The figure has come down because some people were reported missing several times; some people who lived in the tower and were feared dead were found to have been elsewhere on the night, and some people were falsely reported dead by fraudsters hoping to receive financial compensation.

The final toll includes 70 adults and children who died in the tower during the fire, and one baby who was stillborn shortly after the heavily pregnant mother escaped from the 21st floor, suffering severe smoke inhalation on her way down. The mother survived.

“Specialist teams working inside Grenfell Tower and the mortuary have pushed the boundaries of what was scientifically possible to identify people,” said Metropolitan Police Commander Stuart Cundy, who is in charge of operations at the tower.

“I know that each member of the team has done absolutely all they can to make this possible.

“They have done that for every person who lost their life, their families and loved ones, and all those for whom Grenfell Tower was home.”

The tower was home to a multi-ethnic community in a deprived social housing estate within the wealthy Kensington and Chelsea borough that is also home to many millionaires.

A criminal investigation is under way that could result in individuals or organisations being charged. A separate public inquiry aims to shed light on any flaws or irregularities in the design, construction or maintenance of the tower. – Reuters