London tragedy will spur change

The sheer scale of the devastation brought to light issues that can no longer be ignored

In the days that have followed the Grenfell Tower fire in London, a complex mix of emotions has gripped those directly affected by the unfolding tragedy and, indeed, those watching from afar. First, the waves of grief at the loss of life. The images of Syrian refugee Mohammed Al Hajali, who was the first victim named, were some of the many painful photographs that have been released in the days since the fire. They serve as a powerful reminder of the dangers that exist far away from the bloody conflict raging in the country of his birth.

Then there was shock as the death toll mounted and officials said it may be weeks, months or even years before the true number is established.

Slowly, that grief and horror has turned to anger, not at the exemplary work of London’s emergency services who were called to wrestle with the rapidly spreading inferno, but at the sluggish response of some politicians – including Britain’s beleaguered prime minister Theresa May – to the growing crisis and at the details of the building’s recent refurbishment, which may have directly contributed to the death toll. The blackened core of the tower serves as a sickening reminder of collective failure.

Much space has been given over to the issue of cladding, a topic we are sharply aware of in this country. Grenfell Tower was recently the subject of comprehensive renovation works, which were completed last year. The refurbishment included the fitting of cladding that was “commonly used”, according to the contractor responsible for the works, but which may have contributed to the fire spreading so quickly. The fact that inferior cladding material was fitted to a social housing project in a borough where some of the most expensive houses in London can be found is particularly unsettling and exposes the vast income inequalities and harmful social realities of this proud city.

Fires have, in the past, spread quickly in more than one such tower in Dubai. Events in London remind us once again that we must be unstinting in our pursuit of the best possible building control laws to avoid tragedy in the future. Nothing else is good enough.