HELL ON EARTH
Horror as residents say they warned of tragedy 4 years ago New cladding may have made blaze worse
SURVIVORS of the Grenfell Tower inferno told how the blaze ripped through the block in no time – as it was revealed that residents had repeatedly warned that the building was a death trap.
At least 12 people died in the fire and police said that figure was likely to rise. Last night, many people were still unaccounted for and 18 of the 78 injured were fighting for their lives.
Emergency crews said they were faced with a blaze “unprecedented in scale, speed and spread”.
Desperate people were trapped in their flats as flames and thick smoke engulfed them.
The block was still ablaze last night, nearly 24 hours after the fire started.
Eyewitnesses told of babies being thrown from windows to people waiting below and tenants screaming to be rescued.
No alarms were heard as frantic residents tried to alert neighbours as they fled after the inferno took hold shortly after 1am.
The blaze in Kensington, London, is thought to have been caused by an exploding fridge.
But the speed at which it spread raised serious questions.
Residents claimed warnings about the high-rise –which had recently undergone an £8.6million refurbishment by Rydon Construction – being a fire hazard were ignored.
The Grenfell Action Group, who wrote about the dangers in November, said: “All our warnings fell on deaf ears and we predicted a catastrophe like this was inevitable and just a matter of time.”
David Collins, of the block’s residents association, added: “We repeatedly reported concerns to the tenant management organisation of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, including fire safety concerns, which were not investigated during the regeneration.
“There were concerns over locations of boilers, about fire escapes and lighting, the list goes on.
“I spoke to councillors and they refused to investigate.”
The action group had warned in 2013 that emergency access to the tower was blocked, fire extinguishers were out of date and there were a series of power surges that caused smoke to pour into flats from various electric appliances.
Local campaigner Piers Thompson said: “There are a lot of people who have a lot of questions about this.
“When we get over the grieving, we’re going to be looking to see justice done.
“In terms of the number of fatalities, we’re expecting something really, really dreadful.”
The tenant-management organisation said it was “too early to speculate what caused the fire and contributed to its spread”. They added: “We are aware that concerns have been raised historically by residents.” The blaze started when most people, many with young children, were in bed. Residents had been advised that, in the event of a fire, they should stay in their flats and block underneath doors with towels unless the flames entered their home or reached the hallway outside it.
By the time it became clear that the whole block was going to go up, it was too late for some to get out as their homes were engulfed.
Those who did flee unharmed told of corridors and stairwells filled with thick black smoke, ensuing panic and dashes to safety with young children.
Dad-of-two Mahad Egal, who lived on the fourth floor, said the first he knew about the blaze was when a neighbour knocked on his door.
He added: “It was so dark. I wrapped some wet towels around the kids’ heads to protect them from the smoke and then we ran.
“Outside, we were confronted by my neighbour who said, ‘Are you OK? It was my flat. My fridge exploded.’”
Pregnant Maryam Adam, 41, who also lives on the fourth floor, added: “The neighbour knocked the door and said there was a fire in his flat.”
Yahaya el Mohammed, 16, said: “I was awoken by the screams as I live
nearby. I ran outside and saw the flames. I saw at least three or four kids wrapped in blankets and carpets who were thrown to safety. People caught them.”
Ahmed Chellat, 60, spent yesterday walking the streets looking for relatives who lived on the 21st floor.
He added: “I was on the phone to my sister-in-law saying, ‘Get out, get out’ but she said they’d been told to stick towels under the door and stay inside and wait to be rescued.
“She said, ‘Smoke is coming through, it is coming under the doors’ and then I got cut off. That is the last time I heard from her. I don’t know what has happened to them.”
Metropolitan Police chief Stuart Cundy warned “the number of fatalities will sadly increase”.
He added: “I don’t anticipate further survivors.”
The London Fire Brigade’s Steve Apter would not confirm the exploding fridge sparked the disaster. He added: “The investigation is in its preliminary stages.”
Experts believe rain cladding added to the tower may have caused the inferno to spread faster.
Chartered surveyor Arnold Tarling said the cladding makes a gap between the insulation which can act like a “chimney”.
He added: “It produces a wind tunnel and traps burning material, so had it been insulated per se, the insulation could fall off, but this is all contained inside.”
Rydon insisted their work on Grenfell Tower “met all required building control, fire regulation, and health and safety standards”.
Fire crews continued to monitor the building last night amid fears it could collapse. Community centres, churches and mosques opened to the residents as donations of food, water, clothes and essentials piled up.
Prime Minister Theresa May sent her condolences to those caught up in the blaze, adding: “An investigation will take place into the cause of the fire.”