NOW 58 MISSING, PRESUMED DEAD
Grenfell Tower death toll still expected to rise, police chief warns, as PM meets victims:
The time it is going to take us to undertake the search and recovery operation is going to be significant METROPOLITAN POLICE COMMANDER, STUART CUNDY
FIFTY-EIGHT people are missing and presumed dead in the Grenfell Tower disaster, the officer in charge of the investigation said yesterday evening.
Metropolitan Police Commander Stuart Cundy warned that the death toll could rise further as he formally identified a first victim as 23-year-old Mohammed Alhajali.
Earlier yesterday Prime Minister Theresa May met victims of the blaze at Downing Street, amid criticism she had not seen them in the immediate wake of the tragedy.
Mr Cundy said: “Sadly, at this time there are 58 people who we have been told were in the Grenfell Tower on the night that are missing, and therefore sadly, I have to assume that they are dead.”
“That number 58 may change. I really hope it won’t, but it may in-
crease. “Our focus has been on those that we know were in Grenfell Tower. However, there may be other people who were in there on the night that others were not aware were there.
“That is also an absolute priority for the investigation – to establish who they may be,” he added.
Mr Cundy also appealed to anyone who may have escaped from the building, but has not yet come forward, to make themselves known.
Of the 58, he said 30 were confirmed dead. Sixteen bodies have been recovered from the Tower and taken to a mortuary.
Mr Cundy said the police investigation into the blaze would look at the building and its refurbishment in 2016 and vowed to prosecute people “if there is evidence”.
He said: “The investigation is a police investigation. We investigate criminal matters. The investigation will identify any criminal offence that has been committed. It will be wide-ranging.
“It will go to establish the answers of what happened in the fire and how it spread, it will look at the building itself, it will look at the refurbishment as well.
Victims made clear their demands to the Prime Minister in a two-anda-half hour meeting in Number 10.
A man representing the group, who did not give his name, told reporters they would make a full statement “in the community”.
He said the group had spoken about their “demands and what we expect”.
Mr Cundy added: “The time it is going to take us to undertake the search and recovery operation is going to be significant.
“Both myself and colleagues from London Fire Brigade have already said it will take weeks. It may take longer than that.
“My commitment to families is that as soon as we can, we will locate and recover their loved ones.
“The reason we had to pause the search and recovery yesterday was for the safety of our staff.
“We do not want another fatality arising out of this tragedy.”
Mr Cundy’s statement comes as Transport for London partially closed two Tube lines because of London Fire Brigade (LFB) saying there was a “short-term risk of some debris falling on to the tracks”.
When asked about the search, he replied that the officers had gone “all the way to the top” of the tower, and explained that the first phase was a visual search.
“There is considerable damage within Grenfell Tower. It is important for families that we do absolutely everything in there to find their loved ones but we have gone to the top of the tower,” he said.
Family liaison officers are working with 52 families, and as soon as victims are identified, their loved ones will be told.
Mr Cundy said at the scene: “I absolutely understand the frustration of why figures haven’t been released earlier. The reason for that – at one point, in terms of our casualty bureau, there were 400 people who were reported missing.”
Anger flared in the Kensington community over the weekend, as some accused the authorities of withholding information.
The police are appealing for pictures or videos of the blaze.