Police: London tower fire’s death toll increases to 58
LONDON — London police said Saturday that the death toll from the inferno at the Grenfell Tower in west London had risen to 58.
The announcement by Cmdr. Stuart Cundy, who said the toll was still expected to rise, came as Queen Elizabeth II made note of the country’s recent struggles.
“It is difficult to escape a very somber national mood,” the queen said at an event to mark her official birthday — an occasion that typically does not result in any public comments from the monarch. “In recent months, the country has witnessed a succession of terrible tragedies.”
The fire at the 24-story public housing project broke out early Wednesday — after Britons had been hit with three terrorist attacks in less than three months, in London and Manchester. The deadly blaze has mushroomed into a political crisis, testing the government of Prime Minister Theresa May. Her political future — already in doubt after her Conservative Party lost its governing majority in snap elections she called — has been further questioned because of her response to the fire.
The prime minister’s response, characterized as stilted and lacking empathy, and her failure to meet with victims during an initial visit to the site only served to amplify complaints about her leadership. May has announced a fund of about $6.5 million for the victims.
Fire safety experts believe that cladding used on the building’s exterior may have fueled the blaze. Many residents are still unaccounted for, and police said some remains may never be identified. Community groups have said that warnings about poor fire safety have long been ignored, and that in the aftermath of the disaster, officials failed to immediately take care of those affected.