Tower blaze’s horror ‘relay’

CARRYING out casualties as Grenfell Tower burned was yesterday described as the “world’s worst relay”.

Fire station manager Gareth Cook saw his role as “intervening between life and death” and said he had to dehumanise the situation to function.

In a written statement to the ongoing public inquiry he said: “At one point I remember having a child in my arms that did not appear to be breathing.

“I did not know if they were alive or dead.

“There was no time for emotion. I had a job to do.

“We just kept going with another, and another and another.

“It was like the world’s worst relay.

“Eventually I was running on necessity, pushing, pushing and pushing.”

Mr Cook recalled being handed a child who told him: “I watched my brother die.”

He said: “I remember thinking that that would stay with me.

“Earlier, I said that you have a job to do and must remain professional and that there was no time for emotion.

“But you remember things like that.

“I handed him to the firefighter and said: ‘Do not leave him.’”

STAR

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