London fire as it happened: 12 residents confirmed dead and more fatalities expected after day of horror
Witnesses describe 'terrifying' scenes
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A huge fire has engulfed a large block of flats in London, killing at least a dozen people.
Hundreds of firefighters were sent to 24-storey Grenfell Tower in north Kensington, as large plumes of smoke billowed above the capital after the blaze broke out in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Witnesses spoke of "terrifying" scenes, with some residents suggesting they heard no alarm go off when the fire began. At least 75 people are being treated at six hospitals across the capital.
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A tall buildings expert has said it is really too early to judge what led to such a devastating fire, but there are "usually a combination of factors involved".
Simon Lay, UK representative for the Council on Tall Buildings, told the BBC it was "normal practice" to have only one staircase and entrance in a building like Grenfell Tower did, and that this “hasn’t shown any significant impact on fire safety” elsewhere.
He also said cladding systems, which some suggest may have aided the fire's spread, are very common around the world, and “they can be designed to be safe” or they can contribute to risks - "it comes down to the details" of each building.
Mr Lay added that until very recently, it was the norm to build tall buildings without sprinklers, adding that tall buildings are generally some of the safest places to live because "lots of time and attention is spent on designing them".
New data released today for Fire Door Safety Week published days before the Grenfell tower fire showed worrying shortcomings in fire safety in the UK, particularly among the poorest communities.
It found that just a third (35 per cent) of the lowest income households renting flats said they had been given information on the emergency fire plan for the building where they live, compared to 88 per cent of tenants on incomes over £100,000 a year.
More than half of all tenants (58 per cent) and over seven in 10 lower income tenants said they had no idea who the “Responsible Person” – the person to whom they should usually report their fire safety concerns - was for the building they lived in.
Read more about the findings here.
↵A man whose uncle had called him while trapped on the 14th floor of Grefnell Tower has shared a post seeking information about him.
Stevan Racz said he hadn't heard anything from his uncle Dennis Murphy since he spoke to him early on Wednesday morning.
One commenter on another post seeking Mr Murphy wrote: “I've been around asking everyone, going to the centres, no one's seen him.”
Sperately, a friend of missing Mohamed Neda, Ariana Neumann Rodger, posted on Facebook that “his family are severely injured and in hospital and desperate to find out where he is”.
Zia Popal, who described Mr Neda as his uncle, also posted on the social network and said: “He was on the top floor of the building trying to help (people) and went missing since.
Dozens of people have gathered for a vigil following the Grefnell Tower fire outside the Notting Hill Methodist Church in west London.
Many were moved to tears as Rev Mike Long invited those present to light candles to place on the steps of the church on Wednesday evening.
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