Mum and daughter last Grenfell victims to be identified
AMOTHER and daughter, whose family said they died at each other’s side, are the final two victims of the Grenfell Tower fire to be formally identified.
Victoria King, 71, and her 40-yearold daughter, Alexandra Atala, were among 70 people who died in the blaze, while a baby stillborn in hospital after his parents escaped the tower has also been recorded as a victim.
The huge search operation in the 24-storey block in west London is due to be completed next month but the Metropolitan Police said they now believe all those who died have been recovered and identified.
In a statement released through police the women’s family said: “We were devastated to hear of our sister, Vicky’s, fate, and that of her daughter, Alexandra, in the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
“Some comfort can come from the knowledge that she and Alexandra were devoted to one another and spent so many mutually supportive years together.
“They died at each other’s side and now they can rest together in peace. “We will remember them always.” Including baby Logan Gomes, 18 of the victims were children, police said.
Officers have pledged to continue what they described as a “complex and challenging” probe into the blaze.
Scotland Yard has said its criminal investigation may consider individual as well as corporate manslaughter charges.
Asked whether police are any closer to bringing charges, Commander Stuart Cundy said: “I’m never going to comment on the progress of an investigation itself but this is one of the largest investigations the Met Police has ever undertaken.
“It is hugely complex and challenging. We are using experts and specialists from a wide variety of disciplines to establish what happened.”
Mr Cundy said it is “impossible” to put a timescale on when any charges may be brought.
“We will follow the evidence wherever it takes us and if the evidence exists we will do whatever we can to bring those responsible to justice through whatever proceedings are appropriate.”
In the immediate aftermath of the blaze 400 people were listed as missing and the death toll was initially feared to be much higher as police handled thousands of calls from people who believed they knew someone who had been trapped in the tower.
Police said footage showed 223 people escaping the fire, while others were not at home on the night of June 14.
One person was reported missing 46 times, while others were reported under different names, and even slight differences of spellings of names had to be investigated.
There were also a number of false claims, and eight people have been charged or are under investigation for fraud in connection with the disaster.
Earlier this month, Anh Nhu Nguyen, 52, admitted two counts of fraud after claiming his wife and son died in the blaze, to pocket £12,500 intended to help victims.
Mr Cundy said police had undertaken a “meticulous” search, recovery and identification operation, sift- ing more than 15 tonnes of debris on each floor of the building.
He said: “Specialist teams have pushed the boundaries of what was scientifically possible to identify people.”
A public inquiry, led by retired Court of Appeal judge Sir Martin Moore-Bick, is looking at events on the night of the fire, how and why the block came to be wrapped in flammable cladding and insulation, and the response of Kensington and Chelsea Council and central government after the fire.
Asked about concerns that the police investigation could affect the progress of the inquiry, Mr Cundy said the two have different roles but acknowledged some overlap.
He said: “It’s not about us holding up the public inquiry, we are sharing all the information we obtained through our investigation with them, but such is the scale of our investigation, it will take some time.”