An investigative report, released Wednesday, blames how fire soldiers handled the tragedy that killed 72 people in June 2017.
The text of nearly a thousand pages highlights "Systemic failures". Survivors and relatives of the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire in London in June 2017, who killed 72 people, criticized the fire department's management of the incident on Wednesday (October 30th), which was questioned in an investigation report. the drama.
The virulence of the disaster is due to the coating of the facades of the tower, made of aluminum composite panels and polyethylene. Despite the speed with which the flames progressed, the soldiers of the fire kept the instruction to remain in the building "At a time when the stairs were passable"said the chairman of the commission of inquiry, Martin Moore-Bick. According to him, "More lives could have been saved" this night from June 13 to 14, 2017. The firefighters have indeed asked the residents to stay in their homes after the outbreak of the fire, just before 1:00 am, before changing the strategy at 2:47.
"A serious lack of common sense"
The fire broke out in the middle of the night in the kitchen of a fourth-floor apartment, from a faulty refrigerator. The flames had quickly devoured the 24-storey building and residents of the neighborhood had watched helplessly as dozens of its residents were still prisoners of the inferno.
"It does not matter how brave the firefighters are" during that night, said Nazanin Aghlani, whose mother's disability died in the fire, they showed, according to her, of"A serious lack of common sense".
In his eyes, firefighters "Are not heroes", "They are professionals", "They are paid for that", "They chose this job". "Many people could have been saved"said the young woman at a press conference in Westminster.
For Nabil Choucaire, who lost six relatives in the fire, in the face of the fire, firefighters should have evacuated the occupants of the tower " Much sooner ".
Risk of not learning from this fire
The firefighters union refuted " with force " the statement in the report that it would have been possible or safe to evacuate more than 150 people through a narrow staircase smoky with 30 firefighters. "It's not possible to know if the evacuation could have saved more lives"replied his secretary general Matt Wrack.
One of the victims' associations, Grenfell United, praised on Twitter the findings of the report, which "Give confidence that the way to the truth has finally begun".
Today the #Grenfell Inquiry Phase 1 report is made public. Grenfell United, the bereaved families and survivors pre … https://t.co/qhTcGJ1bhl
According to the association, "One of the most disturbing discoveries" is, according to the chairman of the commission of inquiry, that there is a risk that the fire brigade of London does not learn the lessons of this fire.
Another association, Justice4Grenfell, organized a rally near the 24-storey tower, now covered with white tarpaulins and overlooked by a large green heart and sign "Grenfell, forever in our hearts".
Ahmed, who lost his wife, three children and his brother-in-law in the fire, said "Disappointed" that the report targets firefighters. They did " errors "but have come " rescue people ", he said. Yvette Williams, coordinator of the association, retains that "The building was really illegal", "No one should have lived there".
After a minute of silence in the House of Commons, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson assured that the government would accept "By principle" recommendations of the report and follow them.