Grenfell Tower fire death toll rises as police reveal 58 people presumed dead – and criminal investigation WILL look at building refurb
AT least 58 people are presumed dead in the Grenfell Tower disaster — as police today confirmed the £10million building refurb is part of a criminal investigation.
It is an increase of 28 on the number of confirmed victims in Wednesday's tower block blaze, with the death toll to increase even further.
Scotland Yard are also set to release video and pictures from inside the burned out West London building.
As many as 400 people were officially reported missing.
"That number 58 may change. I really hope it won't, but it may increase", Commander Stuart Cundy of the Metropolitan Police warned in a press conference yesterday afternoon.
He added: "There may have been other people there on the night that people were not aware".
In an appeal for information, he said: "If someone was in Grenfell Tower and they did not escape and have not make it know.
"I don’t care the reason why you haven’t told us so far.
"I want to know and we all want to know that you are safe and well."
Mr Cundy said that the refurbishment of the building, which finished just weeks ago, will form part of an ongoing criminal probe.
"The investigation will identify any criminal offence that has happened — It will be wide ranging", he added.
"It will look at the building and the refurbishment".
So far 16 bodies have been taken from the disaster site to a London mortuary.
Meanwhile, the first victim of the Grenfell Tower disaster has been formally identified as Mohammed al-Haj Ali.
Earlier, survivors visited Theresa May at Number 10 after she was criticised for her response to the disaster.
And protesters marched in Whitehall demanding answers amid accusations that the cheap cladding used to spruce up the look of the block may have acted as tinder for the raging flames.
Transport for London partly suspended The Hammersmith and City and Circle tube lines over fears that parts of the charred tower block — which had 120 flats over 24-storeys — could fall off.
Commander Stuart Cundy of the Metropolitan Police's full statement on Grenfell Tower
"And for me this is just a human tragedy.
"Sadly we can now formally identify the first victim who lost their life. That is Mohammed Alhajali, who was 23 years, who lived here at Grenfell tower.
"His family are being supported by family liaison officers.
"As the days go on we will be able to, with the agreement of the coroner, identify others who have died.
"Yesterday afternoon following expert advice for the safety of our officers, from the Metropolitan Police the London fire brigade and the London Ambulance arrive, we had to pause that search and recovery.
"I am now pleased to say that as of this afternoon we are now back in Grenfell tower.
"And our priority is to bring out those who are still in there.
"Over 6,000 calls have been received by the police and that's calls into centres up and down the United Kingdom.
"We have worked tirelessly to establish how many people we believe were in Grenfell tower on the night and at this point in time we are unable to say that they are safe or well."
";Sadly at this time there are 58 people who we have been told were in Grenfell tower on the night that are missing, and therefore sadly I have to assume that they are dead.
"We have family liaison officers supporting and working with a number of families.
"That is 52 families. That includes those who we believe died here at Grenfell tower, and those who are in critical care still in hospital.
"That number 58 may change. I really hope it won't. But it may increase.
"Our focus has been on those we know were in there, that we have been told were in Grenfell tower.
"However there may be other people who were in there on the night, but others may not have been aware were there.
"And also that is an absolute priority for the investigation to establish who they may be.
"If someone was in Grenfell tower and they did escape, and they haven't made it known to the police or to their family, I would urge them to contact the police casualty bureau.
"I don't care the reason why you haven't told us so far.
"I want to know and we all want to know that you are safe and well.
"We have colleagues in there as we speak, searching for and recovering those who have died.
"The time it is going to take us to undertake this search and recovery operation is going to be significant
"Both myself and colleagues from London Fire Brigade have already said it will take weeks.
"It may take longer than that. My commitment to families is that as soon as we can, we will locate and recover their loved ones.
"The reason we had to pause the search recovery yesterday was for the safety of our staff. I am sure you will all understand we do not want another fatality arising out of this tragedy.
"I really do understand the frustration of so many about not knowing the scale of the tragedy that's unfolding behind us.
"You have my absolute assurance that as soon as I can tell you something that I know to be accurate I will tell you.
"The investigation will be exhaustive. My intention is that it will help provide answers.
"If as we investigate we identify issues that are a risk to public safety, we will not be waiting until the end of the investigation before we provide that information to the appropriate authorities.
"If there are any safety issues that we, and other experts we will be using, identify, we will share that immediately.
"Finally, I would like to repeat what I have said before which is that my heart goes out, those of my colleagues, those of the wider emergency services, the community here, Londoners, and indeed everybody across this nation.
"Our thoughts are with you and you have my commitment that I will do whatever I can within my power to find the answers to what happened here."
Civil engineering student Mohammed, 23, was on the phone to his brother Omar in the moments before he died, telling him: "I’m dying, I cannot breathe.”
The pair had become separated during the inferno, with Omar managing to escape.
Revealing his trauma, he told the BBC: "I saw the fire in the flat from outside. I was watching the flat – it was burning – and my brother was inside.
“We came from Syria to be safe here, and now we’re dying.”
A petition calling on the Home Office to fast track visas for Mohammed's grieving family to come to the UK has gathered tens of thousands of signatures.
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What we know so far
- At least 30 people have been confirmed dead but the death toll is feared to be more than 100 - with at least 28 further victims presumed dead
- The first victims have been named as Syrian refugee Mohammed Al Haj Ali, 23, and 24-year-old Khadija SayeThe Prime Minister has promised a full public inquiry into the disaster and police have launched a criminal investigation
- The blaze on Wednesday night is thought to have been sparked by a faulty fridge but police don't believe the fire was started deliberately
- Experts warned the fire was spread by cladding panels which are fitted to countless buildings across Britain
- Residents were seen jumping from upper floors in scenes reminiscent of September 11 and horrified witnesses told of babies being thrown from windows by desperate mothers
- It was revealed the block had only recently undergone a £10million refurb and still had no sprinkler system installed - but designers insisted the refurbishment work complied with building regulations
- Residents raised safety concerns four years ago, but were ignored
- Celebrities and ordinary Londoners have united to provide food, clothes, money and shelter for survivors
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