Grenfell Tower: Catapult conclusion on the 72-dead tragedy in Britain’s most deadly fire

The final for the London murderous fire was released today seven years after the 72 dead tragedy. The finding refers to omissions of the government, manufacturing industry and most companies involved in the investment of its exterior building with flammable material. Seventy-two people died when the fire burned down the 23 floors of the social housing complex in one of the richest areas of western London in the early hours of June 14, 2017. It was the most deadly fire in a housing building in Britain after World War II. In its long-awaited final report, the investigation casts most of the responsibilities for the destruction on companies involved in the maintenance and external investment of the apartment tower, the omissions of local and national authorities as well as on companies which fraudulently presented flammable investment materials as safe. There is also extensive criticism of years of inactivity about the fire safety of large-scale building complexes and blame is placed on the government, the local authority of Kensington and Chelsea, industry, regulators, specific individuals and an unprepared fire department. “The fire at Grenfel Tower was the culmination of omissions for decades by the central government and other bodies in positions of responsibility in the construction industry” , quoted in the report, which numbers nearly 1,700 pages . For years after the fiery hell, survivors and relatives of the deceased sought those responsible for being brought to justice on criminal charges. However, while according to British police 58 people and 19 companies and organisations are under investigation, prosecutions – including homicide and fraud – have not yet been carried out due to the complexity and the need to take into account the investigation committee’s report. “I can’t pretend to imagine the impact of such a long police investigation on the friends and relatives of the dead and on the survivors, but we have a chance to do our investigation properly,” said Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Candy. Most of the obvious responsibility is attributed to those involved in the renovation of the tower with the flammable investment. According to the investigation, the Studio E architectural office, the main manufacturer Rydon, and the subcontractor for the investment of the Harley building bear considerable responsibility for the disaster. Exova fire inspectors are also responsible for the building being left “in a dangerous state upon completion of the renovation”. The city council of Kensington and Chelsea and Tenant Management Organisation (TMO), managed by the local authority’s housing reserve, are also criticized. They showed indifference for fire safety regulations for years before the fire and TMO, whose difficult relationship with some residents seems to have created a “toxic atmosphere”, had focused too much on cost reduction. While the local community and volunteer groups are praised for providing support, the council is also criticized for the slow, confused and “totally inappropriate” response to the incident. Criticism is also expressed about the companies that built and sold the building’s foam investment or insulation – Celotex, Kingspan, and Arconic Architectural Products, the French subsidiary of the American company Arconic. The investigation concludes that there was “systemic dishonesty” in their part. In Britain, according to government figures in July, 3,280 buildings of 11 metres or above still have unsafe investment, with restoration work not yet started in more than two-thirds of them.