British officials are in the process of inspecting some 600 high-rise buildings across England in the aftermath of the June 14 fire that engulfed the Grenfell tower block, resulting in the deaths of at least 79 residents and causing a public outcry over the Conservative government’s budget cuts.
Initially, it was reported that 34 high-rise building across 17 council areas had failed the cladding fire safety tests. The numbers have risen to 60 block towers covering 25 council areas, from Plymouth to Salford, according to the UK’s Daily Mail on Sunday.
Detective Chief Superintendent Fiona McCormack said the insulation at Grenfell combusted soon after the fire started, adding that it proved to be “more flammable than the cladding.” The finding added fuel to the public outcry over a lack of mandatory testing of insulating materials by the Department for Communities and Local Government.
According to the Huffington Post, Downing Street said last week that not all buildings are covered with the same kind of cladding as the Grenfell tower was encased in, but so far, according to officials, all the samples of insulation brought in from high-rises around the city have failed combustion tests.
And despite local council authorities urging residents to vacate apartments in buildings that failed the fire safety tests, many families are refusing to leave. London Mayor Sadiq Khan has backed the council’s decision to evacuate the tower blocks. “I think they’ve done the right thing. Look, you’ve got to err on the side of caution. You can’t play Russian roulette with people’s safety,” he told reporters.
At least 40,000 people now face evacuation orders, with the number of people already evacuated standing at 20,000. The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) added Doncaster, Norwich, Stockton-on-Tees, and Sunderland. All had buildings that failed tests, including Manchester, Plymouth, and Portsmouth.
Additionally, Islington, Lambeth, and Wandsworth joined Barnet, Brent, Camden, and Hounslow are also on the growing list, with 11 other areas yet to be named to the 60 areas. And there are sure to be more because testing is expected to take another week or two. The London Fire Brigade is looking at a combination of safety factors, including exterior cladding, fire doors, gas pipes and insulation.
