Shafaqna India: The Grenfell Tower fire disaster, which claimed 72 lives, resulted from “decades of failure” by government bodies, the construction industry, and “systematic dishonesty” by building material companies, according to a final report released Wednesday.
Presenting the damning findings of an independent investigation into the 2017 tragedy, inquiry chair Martin Moore-Bick stated that the deaths were “all avoidable” and the victims had been “badly failed.” He cited “incompetence,” as well as “dishonesty and greed,” as contributing factors.
The fire, which broke out on June 14, 2017, rapidly engulfed the 24-story tower in west London due to highly flammable cladding. Originating from a faulty freezer on the fourth floor, the blaze spread to the top floor within 30 minutes, causing devastating consequences.
The report concludes the long-running inquiry into Britain’s worst residential fire since World War II, delivering harsh criticism of successive governments, influential bodies, and architects for the refurbishment that led to the use of hazardous materials like cladding.
It specifically condemns firms involved in supplying the rainscreen cladding panels and insulation products, accusing them of “systematic dishonesty” through manipulating testing processes, misrepresenting data, and misleading the market.
Grenfell United, representing some survivors and victims, called for urgent government action following the report’s release. “The government must now take control to prevent further erosion of public safety, instead of enabling ‘crooks and killers,'” the group stated.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged to carefully consider the report’s recommendations to prevent such a tragedy from happening again. He acknowledged that the country failed in its duty to protect the victims and expressed deep regret.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan also condemned the incident, stating that Grenfell residents paid the price for “systemic dishonesty, corporate greed, and institutional neglect.”
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) received significant criticism for being “complacent” and failing to communicate the dangers of cladding or to learn from a similar 2009 fire that exposed shortcomings in their response to high-rise fires.
Residents were told to stay in their flats and await rescue for nearly two hours, a “stay-put” policy that has since been revised as it is now considered to have cost lives.
The tragedy’s youngest victims included a stillborn child and a six-month-old baby, Leena Belkadi, found with her mother in a stairwell between the 19th and 20th floors.
The disaster has left many people in buildings with similar cladding fearful of another tragedy, and property owners have faced financial difficulties due to unsellable apartments.
In 2022, the government announced that developers would bear the cost of cladding removal in buildings over 11 meters, sparing residents from paying. However, a recent fire in Dagenham, east London, has highlighted ongoing risks, with over 80 people evacuated from a building where cladding removal was incomplete.
London Fire Commissioner Andy Roe reported that around 1,300 buildings in London still require urgent remediation work.
Grenfell United has called for those responsible to be held accountable, but the Metropolitan Police’s investigation is not expected to conclude until 2025, and decisions on criminal prosecutions may not come until the end of 2026.
Former Grenfell resident Edward Daffarn expressed frustration with the delay, urging the police to expedite the process and bring charges against those responsible for the deaths of 72 people.