A tower block in east London caught fire in the early hours of Monday. It was covered in “non-compliant cladding” on the facade and more than 80 people, including children, were evacuated. Another 20 people were rescued. The Mayor of London urged people to avoid the area.
More than 200 firefighters took part in a "significant search and rescue operation" that involved evacuating more than 80 people, including children, from their homes.
Another 20 people were said to have been rescued by firefighters following what they described as "significant damage to the building".
The fire service said the fire engulfed the entire building, including scaffolding around the property and the roof.
On Monday afternoon, London Fire Brigade Deputy Commissioner Patrick Goulbourne added that everyone had been found and the fire was under control.
According to the London Fire Brigade, the block, described as a mixed-use residential and commercial building, was known to have "a number of fire safety issues" and was covered with "non-compliant" cladding, in terms of the facade.
Scaffolding was being installed around the building to remove the facade, and a fire enforcement notice issued last year highlighted inspectors' concerns at the time.
When asked by reporters at the scene “how big a role the façade played” in the fire and how close the incident came to a “bigger disaster”, Mr Goulbourne said: “What I wouldn’t want to do is prejudge an investigation. This was a very, very dynamic incident and clearly it will require a very comprehensive investigation, not only to get to the cause but also to come to a conclusion on the spread of the fire – so it’s too early at this stage to provide any details on the cause of the fire, but that will be part of our investigation in the coming days.”
Write a comment
Comments are verified before being published.
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.