Number of deaths in London’s Grenfell Tower fire is still rising
London — The death toll in the fire that ravaged a London tower block last week has risen to 79, police said on Monday, and the UK government says it is working to get a public inquiry into the disaster up and running. Fire broke out in the 24-storey Grenfell Tower, a social housing block in west London, in the early hours of June 14 and spread with terrifying speed, tearing through the building with residents trapped inside. While emergency services have been widely praised for their handling of the disaster, the government has been criticised for a slow and inadequate response, with Prime Minister Theresa May facing public anger for failing to meet residents during her first visit to the site. "Sadly today, as of 8 o’clock this morning (7am GMT), the number has increased. I believe there are 79 people that are either dead, or missing, and sadly I have to presume are dead," metropolitan police commander Stuart Cundy told reporters. He said five of the dead had been formally identif...
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