Horrifying pictures of Grenfell Tower inferno show how blaze devastated building in just four hours – leaving 30 dead and 70 more feared missing
Authorities say that 600 people lived in the tower, which housed 120 flats
DEVASTATING images have revealed how the Grenfell Tower disaster unfolded in just four hours - leaving 30 confirmed dead and 70 more feared missing.
With the blaze beginning to climb up the tower in just 15 minutes, firefighters on the scene were almost powerless to battle its expansion into a horrifying inferno.
1.30am
2.10am
2.34am
3.08am
4.20am
5.16am
While the death toll and the cause of the fire yet to be confirmed, much of the tragedy is yet to unfold.
However this timeline explains what we know about how the fire and its aftermath developed.
- Wednesday 12.50am - Maryam Adam, 41, is awoken by her neighbour who says his fourth-floor flat is on fire.
- 12.54am - The first of "multiple" 999 calls is made to the London Fire Brigade.
- 1am - The first fire crews arrive on the scene and were faced with a "rapidly developing and incredibly complex" fire at the 24-storey building.
- 1.16am - Police are called to the scene at the Lancaster West Estate and begin an evacuation procedure. Officers confirm "a number of people" are injured.
- 1.29am - London Ambulance Service is called to reports of the fire, sending 20 ambulance crews and a hazardous response team.
- 1.41am - Twitter user Fabio Bebber posts a picture of the fire, which had spread to the top floor, with the caption: "Fire consuming Grenfell Tower. People screaming for their lives. Horrible."
- 1.46am - A video shared on Twitter shows the fire has spread to both sides of the building as the night sky is illuminated orange.
- 2.34am - Mr Bebber posts saying he has seen someone on the top floor using a flashlight to draw attention
- 2.49am - London Fire Brigade says 200 firefighters have been called to the blaze.
- 4.43am - The sun rises in London with smoke pouring into the morning sky - witnesses speak of throwing children from the block while others reportedly tie bedsheets together to climb down.
- 6.15am - LAS says it has taken 30 patients to five hospitals.
- 7.50am - London Fire Commissioner Dany Cotton confirms there have been a "number of fatalities" at the fire.
- 8.15am - LAS increases the number of patients taken to hospital to more than 50, adding 100 medics are working at the incident.
- 11.16am - Police say six people are known to have died but expect the figure to rise.
- 11.45am - LAS says 64 patients have been taken to hospital, 20 in critical care. A further 10 people have made their own way to hospital, the service adds.
- 11.59am - Construction firm Rydon, which completed a refurbishment of Grenfell Tower in 2016, says it is "shocked to hear of the devastating fire".
- 5.00pm - The death toll increases to 12 and police say the recovery operation will be "long and complex".
- 8.22pm - Prime Minister Theresa May says there will be a "proper investigation" following the fire, adding: "If there are any lessons to be learned they will be, and action will be taken."
- Thursday, 8.40am - London fire commissioner Dany Cotton says there are "unknown numbers" of people still in the tower but rescuers do not expect to find anyone else alive.
- 9.30am - Prime Minister Theresa May visits the scene, speaking with firefighters and police officers inside the vast cordoned-off area around the fire site.
- 9.34am - The Queen sends her thoughts and prayers to families who have died and critically ill following the fire.
- 11am - Police increase the death toll to 17 and say it is still expected to rise, while a senior detective is appointed to lead the investigation into the blaze.
- 12.20pm - Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn visits the site and says "the truth has got to come out and will come out".
- 12.58pm - Sadiq Khan calls for a "full, independent inquiry" into the disaster.
- 1pm - Theresa May orders a public inquiry.
- 5pm - Metropolitan Police commander Stuart Cundy says six people have been identified and adds: "there is a risk that sadly we may not be able to identify everybody".
- Friday 11am - The Queen and the Duke of Cambridge arrive at a rest centre helping those affected by the fire.
- 12pm - Police increase the death toll to 30, and say that 12 bodies have been recovered from the building.
- 4.30pm - Protesters outside the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea headquarters try to storm the building, calling "murderers" and "we want justice now".
- 5.30pm - Theresa May announces a £5 million fund for emergency supplies, food and clothing during a meeting with survivors of the Grenfell Tower disaster.
- 10.40pm - A vigil is held outside the Latymer Christian Centre in memory of those who died in the fire.
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Theresa May was blasted and accused of failing to answer a single question when pressed over her response to the Grenfell Tower blaze.
The Prime Minister was labelled “cold” and “inhuman” following an interview with the BBC on the day protesters screamed “coward” and “murderer” at her.
May had been attempting to defend the response to the blaze which has killed at least 30 people.
She announced a £5 million fund for emergency supplies, food and clothing during a meeting with survivors of the disaster.
But when asked if she misjudged the public mood May replied: “What I have done since this incident took place is to ensure that the public services had the support that they needed.”
And when challenged that it was now three days on May added: “What I have done today is ensured that we are as a government putting that funding in place.”
When asked if the disaster was preventable May replied: “We have yet to find out what the cause of the fire was.”
On Twitter people were quick to slam her reaction to the tragedy.
@rab_anderson wrote: “Theresa may's newsnight interview is cold.”
@RichGirling77 added: “Theresa May refused to answer 1 single question put to her on #Newsnight #NoCompassion #NoBlame.”
@WrittenWard agreed, writing: “Watched the #Newsnight interview with @theresa_may. Couldn't answer ONE question properly. Makes you utterly sick. #JusticeForGrenfell.”
And @_Pr0Xii said: “How can someone be so inhuman and uncaring?”
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