‘The system isn’t broken, it was built this way’ Mussilhy, a Grenfell survivor.
‘All Grenfell deaths were avoidable’ – Sir Martin Moore-Bick, chairman of the Grenfell Inquiry.
Seven years after one of London’s most devastating tragedies, the Grenfell Inquiry has finally published its findings, a bittersweet moment for all those impacted. The inquiry reveals a ‘web of blame’ that implicates the Government, Arconic, Celotex (the manufacturers of the cladding and insulation) as well as the local council. This tragedy, undeniably, marks one of the greatest failures of the British state, demonstrated through the mistreatment of the survivors and the government’s generally insufficient response. Despite all this, and seven years later, no one has been held accountable, leaving victims striving for justice.
On June 14th 2017, a fire broke out on the fourth floor of Grenfell tower, it quickly spread throughout and up the exterior, eventually consuming the entire flat. The first 999 call was made at 00:54 with the firefighters arriving just five minutes later. By the end, more than 200 firefighters and 40 engines responded to the fire, which presented severe challenges. The fire’s spread was uncontrollable due to the cladding, which was later found to be the primary reason for the fire’s escalation. Initially, residents were told to follow a ‘stay put’ policy, which quickly led to them becoming trapped as the fire consumed the stairs and floors. Fortunately, some ignored this policy and managed to escape safely. Throughout the night, residents fled upstairs and stayed in homes of their neighbours, waiting to be rescued. Ultimately 65 people were rescued that night and 72 died, including 54 adults and 18 children. The fire was eventually put out at 01:14 the next day.
The survivors were left with a view of their building’s charred remains, with no certainty on whether their friends, families and neighbours survived or not. The immediate aftermath saw government orders of the Hotpoint fridge freezer to be tested, as a unit was thought to have started the fire. The Department for Communities and Local Government stated that many residential buildings in the surrounding area were found to have the same cladding as Grenfell and consequent changes were made in the following years. Schools were also checked as a safety precaution. However, government actions regarding the survivors have been heavily criticised and rightfully questioned.
The ignorance displayed by the responsible authorities towards the inhabitants was - and still is - deplorable. Safety concerns were raised about the tower prior to the tragedy, such as when Grenfell underwent refurbishment between the years 2014-2016, led by property group Rydon. Grenfell Action Group claims that the building posed a fire risk before and after refurbishment. In February 2013 residents complained about fire safety equipment not being tested for a year. Yet, in 2016, the tower was given a medium fire risk rating by Kensington and Chelsea Council and the London Fire Brigade following the refurbishment’s completion. The residents’ concerns were entirely ignored and the failure to address them had catastrophic consequences.
The aftermath of the fire only added to the tragedy. Prime Minister Theresa May faced criticism for not visiting the surviving residents immediately after the fire, in contrast to Jeremy Corbyn and Sadiq Khan. Due to the building being uninhabitable Theresa May promised the public that all would be offered rehousing ‘within three weeks’, with emergency hotel accommodations in the meantime. Yet even by 2023 a Grenfell family was still in temporary housing. The process of rehousing the victims was also deemed inconsiderate, some had to reject living in other tower blocks, understandably so, and some offers of new homes proved difficult to commute to children’s schools and families would’ve been unable to afford childcare in the new homes they were offered. The blatant and disrespectful mistreatment of victims led to a series of protests, including one in the Kensington and Chelsea Town Hall, as people were outraged at the government mishandling of the fire. This raises serious questions about how future governments will handle emergencies of similar magnitudes.
The Grenfell inquiry sets out a damning list of failures on the part of responsible bodies and reiterated that all deaths were avoidable. The government was warned about the dangers, and tests in 2001 proved that the cladding was dangerous, yet concerns were ignored and ‘deliberately concealed’. The inquiry also implicated the London Fire Brigade for failing to adequately prepare their teams for high rise block fires, which could’ve saved more lives. The inquiry associates several bodies with the blame for this calamity, yet victims are told that they must wait for at least three years until possible convictions. A damning indictment of the state of Britain’s justice system.
Emma O’Connor, a former Grenfell resident, remains haunted by ‘survivor’s guilt’. She was fortunate enough to have escaped from the 20th floor after ignoring the ‘stay put policy’. Those who survived now feel that they have no choice but to be a voice for their neighbours they lost. The lack of justice is especially cruel considering warnings about the cladding were made in advance and were lied about. Hana Wahabi, another survivor, who lost her brother and other family members in the fire, spoke out about how devastating losing her family has been and has reiterated the ‘lack of humanity and compassion’ displayed by those responsible for putting profit before people.
The inquiry has notably placed blame on all parties who were complicit in the Grenfell tragedy. Nevertheless it’s clear that more must be done. Those responsible must be held accountable and face consequences for their callous negligence. The disregard for the victims is reprehensible and justice must be brought to bear so that such an incident is never repeated.
Image: Wikimedia Commons/ChiralJon
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