8 reasons for the high number of casualties in the London fire.
The authorities' failure to heed fire safety warnings from experts led to significant loss of life in the Grenfell Tower fire in London on the morning of June 14th.
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| The blazing red flames turned Grenfell Tower into a torch - Photo: Reuters |
According to The Sun, the number of people currently believed to be missing after the Glenfell apartment fire in London is 65. While this is a large number, it is still fortunate compared to the authorities' estimate of 400 people whose whereabouts are unknown, based on the number of residents who normally lived in the building.
Meanwhile, the British newspaper Telegraph listed eight "failures" by authorities in the Glenfell apartment building tragedy. This also serves as a lesson in managing densely populated apartment buildings for any country.
1. The law has changed.
Prior to 1986, all buildings in the City of London had to comply with the regulations of the London Building Act, which included a provision requiring walls to be able to withstand heat for at least one hour to prevent fire from spreading between apartments or entering from the outside.
However, under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, the law was replaced by the National Building Regulations, and the requirement for the heat resistance time of building materials also disappeared.
2. Hazardous coating materials
Three years ago, a British fire safety expert warned authorities that tragedy could occur if they did not change regulations to ban the use of flammable insulation materials on the exterior of buildings.
In the case of the Grenfell Tower, a gap between the walls acted as a vent, fanning the flames and allowing the fire to spread to the upper floors.
3. The government doesn't care.
Following the 2009 fire at the 14-story Lakanol House in south London, which killed six people, authorities urged the government to review building and fire safety regulations. They estimated that as many as 4,000 buildings in London were at risk due to inadequate fire hazard assessments.
However, to date, that proposal has received little attention except for a few promises.
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| Thick smoke billows from the Grenfell Tower on the morning of June 14th - Photo: AFP |
4. There is only one staircase.
Residents living in Grenfell Tower have repeatedly expressed their concerns due to the building having only one staircase leading outside. This is a common situation in buildings across England, despite warnings from experts about safety.
Those who escaped the 24-story Grenfell Tower recounted that the stairwells were not only packed with people and filled with smoke, but also lacked an automatic sprinkler system. Firefighters subsequently struggled to ascend to the upper floors.
5. There is no fire extinguishing system.
Experts say that if the Grenfell Tower had been equipped with a sprinkler system, many lives could have been saved.
6. Doors cannot prevent fire.
The London Fire Brigade has said it will investigate reports that some doors in the Grenfell Tower building are not fire-resistant. Fire-resistant doors are typically designed to help prevent the rapid spread of fire within a building in the event of a fire.
7. Inspection work
The last time Grenfell Tower was inspected for fire hazards was in December 2015. The British authorities mandate that these inspections be carried out regularly on buildings, however, the law doesn't specify how "regularly" is appropriate (!). Experts suggest that every 12 months is best.
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| Artist Leo Sayer (right) sings near the burned building to comfort the victims - Photo: Reuters |
8. Fire-retardant design
According to the UK Building Code 1991, buildings are advised to install fire containment systems between floors.
The Grenfell Tower was not equipped with this system. Moreover, given the scale of the fire, experts believe it wouldn't have been very helpful in containing the flames.
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According to TTO
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