A high-rise fire broke out in the 24-storey Grenfell Tower block of flats in North Kensington

A high-rise fire broke out in the 24-storey Grenfell Tower block of flats in North Kensington

At 00:54 BST on June 14, 2017, a high-rise fire that lasted for 60 hours started at the 24-story Grenfell Tower

apartment complex in North Kensington, West London, England. More than 70 people were injured, 223 managed

to escape, and 70 people died at the spot and two more died later in the hospital. It was the worst home fire in the

UK since the Blitz of World War II and the deadliest structural fire in the country since the 1988 Piper Alpha oil-

platform tragedy.

An electrical malfunction in a fourth-floor refrigerator caused the fire.The spaces surrounding window apertures

after window installation were irregular since Grenfell was an existing building that was initially constructed in

concrete to various tolerances. In order to ensure air-tightness, contractors filled these gaps with flammable foam

insulation.

The rainscreen cavity, which was lined with 150 mm thick (5.9-inch) flammable polyisocyanurate rigid board

insulation and covered in aluminium composite cladding panels that included a 2 mm (0.079-inch) highly

flammable polyethylene filler to join each panel face together, was accessed by the foam insulation surrounding the

window jambs.

As is typical in rainscreen cladding systems, a ventilated cavity between the insulation board and rear of the cladding

panel existed; however, cavity barriers to the line of each flat were found to be inadequately installed, or not suitable

for the intended configuration, and this exacerbated the rapid and uncontrolled spread of fire, both vertically and

horizontally, to the tower.

In an attempt to contain the fire and save lives, more than 250 London Fire Brigade firemen and 70 fire engines

from stations throughout Greater London were called in as part of the massive event. At least 20 ambulances

carrying over 100 London Ambulance Service staff responded, along with specialised paramedics from the

Ambulance Service’s Hazardous Area Response Team. The rescue operation also received assistance from London’s

Air Ambulance and the Metropolitan Police.

A public inquiry, several intricate police investigations, and coroner’s inquests are all being conducted into the fire.

The management of the building by the Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council and Kensington and

Chelsea TMO (which was in charge of the borough’s council housing), the Fire Brigade’s and other government

agencies’ responses.

Deregulation policy, building inspections, proper budgeting, fire safety systems, the materials used, the companies

that installed, sold and manufactured the cladding, and communications, advice and decision-making errors by

office holders are just a few of the Following the fire, the council took direct responsibility of council housing from

the KCTMO, and the chief executive, deputy leader and leader of the council resigned.

An independent assessment of fire safety and building standards was commissioned by Parliament, and the results

were released in May 2018. Governments in the UK and other countries have looked into tower blocks with

comparable cladding. These buildings’ cladding is currently being replaced. The cladding crisis in the United

Kingdom has been a consequence of this.

In order to look into the reasons behind the fire and other connected matters, the Grenfell Tower Inquiry was

underway on September 14, 2017. The investigation’s initial report, which addressed the night’s events, was

published in October 2019. It confirmed that the building’s exterior didn’t meet codes, which was the main cause of

the fire’s spread, and that the fire department arrived too late in

On January 27, 2020, a second phase to look into the wider reasons got underway. After lengthy hearings, the

Inquiry Panel released its final findings on September 4, 2024. Police investigations will find potential cases after

publication, and the Crown Prosecution Service will determine whether to file criminal charges. It is anticipated that

cases won’t be submitted before the end of 2026 due to the volume and intricacy of the material, with trials starting

in 2027. 22 companies, including the cladding company Arconic, Whirlpool, and other government agencies, came to

Parliament commissioned an independent review of building regulations and fire safety,a civil settlement with the 900 fire victims in April 2023.

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