'PEOPLE ARE GONNA DIE'
Grenfell Tower fire videos filmed by public show how blaze engulfed block in just 20 minutes as people scream ‘get out’ and sob
SHOCKING footage shows how flames engulfed Grenfell Tower in just 20 minutes as onlookers screamed "get out" and sobbed.
A video montage of clips sent in from the public was played to the official inquiry, reliving the horrific night of June 14 last year, when 72 people lost their lives in the blaze.
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Desperate 999 call made by resident of flat 16 where Grenfell Tower fire started
The clips show how the blaze spread from a fourth floor flat up 19 storeys due to the the building's combustible, exterior cladding in just 21 minutes.
In clips estimated to have been filmed between 1.16 and 1.20am, burning debris could be seen falling from the tower, and screaming could be heard.
"I told you, I told you get out," one man could be heard shouting in a further clip.
Six clips showing the side of the tower as it became engulfed with flames were shown side by side.
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One woman screamed: "Oh my god," as huge pieces of fiery debris rained down from the blazing tower.
Another could be heard sobbing as it became apparent the fire was out of control.
After the video was shown, chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick said: "It is truly shocking, every time you see it, it strikes you in a very similar way, very strongly.".
The investigation is examining the immediate causes of the fire and how it spread, as well as the design and refurbishment of the tower.
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The tower was refurbished in July 2016, with new overcladding consisting of 3mm of polyethylene bonded by two 05.mm aluminium skins.
On its first formal day taking evidence, Richard Millett QC, lead counsel to the inquiry, took participants through the events, starting with the first emergency call.
“Polyethylene is combustible, which melts and drips when exposed to heat,” Millett explained. “It can also flow. It provides a fuel source for a growing, spreading fire. It melts at between 130 to 135C and ignites at 377C.”
In one of a series of reports released today, fire expert Dr Barbara Lane blasted a "culture of non-compliance" at the Kensington tower block.
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She said failure to abide by regulations were identified with the block's lifts, ventilations systems, fire mains and fire doors.
These would have hindered the escape of residents on the night of the fire, as well as the effort to tackle the fire, while also worsening the spread of smoke.
When the inferno took hold , fire doors at the entrance to all 120 flats "contributed significantly to the spread of smoke and fire to the lobbies".
Dr Lane added: "The number of non-compliances signify a culture of non-compliance at Grenfell Tower.
"I am particularly concerned about the maintenance regime of the active and passive fire protection measures.
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"I note that multiple automatic systems such as the control of the fire lift and the smoke ventilation system, appear not to have operated as required."
More than 50 firefighters will be called to give oral evidence to the Grenfell inquiry, as the legal submissions part of the investigation gets underway.
So far 135 written statements have been taken from survivors and residents, including 60 people who escaped from the tower on the night.
Desperate 999 call made by resident of flat 16 where Grenfell Tower fire started
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