8 reasons for the large casualties in the London fire
The failure of authorities to heed fire safety warnings from experts led to a huge loss of life in the Grenfell Tower fire in London in the early morning of June 14.
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| The red fire turned Grenfell Tower into a torch - Photo: Reuters |
According to information recently released by The Sun, the number of people currently believed to be missing after the fire at the Glenfell apartment building in London is 65. This is also a very large number, but it is still a lucky number compared to the government's estimate of 400 people still unaccounted for, based on the number of residents who usually live in the building.
Meanwhile, the British Telegraph newspaper listed eight “failures” of the authorities in the tragedy at the Glenfell apartment building. This is also a lesson in managing crowded apartment buildings for any country.
1. Law changes
Before 1986, all buildings in the City of London had to comply with the London Building Act, which included a provision requiring walls to be fire-resistant for at least one hour to prevent fire spreading between flats or entering from outside.
But under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, the act was replaced by the National Building Regulations, and the requirement on the heat resistance of building materials also disappeared.
2. Hazardous coating materials
Three years ago, a British fire safety expert warned the government that tragedy could happen if they did not change regulations to ban the use of flammable insulation materials on the outside of buildings.
In the case of Grenfell Tower, a gap between the walls acted as a ventilation shaft that fanned the fire, helping it spread to higher floors.
3. The government doesn't care
Following the 2009 fire at the 14-storey Lakanal House building in south London, which killed six people, authorities called on the government to review building and fire safety regulations. They assessed that up to 4,000 buildings in London were at risk due to a lack of fire risk assessments.
However, so far that petition has not been heeded except for a few promises.
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| Smoke billows from Grenfell Tower on the morning of June 14 - Photo: AFP |
4. There is only one staircase
Residents of Grenfell Tower have repeatedly expressed their concerns about the building having only one staircase leading out, a common situation in buildings in the UK despite experts warning about its safety.
Those who escaped the 24-storey Grenfell Tower described how the stairwells were not only jammed with people and filled with smoke, but also had no automatic sprinkler system, and firefighters struggled to move up.
5. No fire protection system
If the Grenfell Tower building had been fitted with a fire sprinkler system, many lives could have been saved, according to experts.
6. The door cannot prevent fire
The London Fire Brigade said it would investigate claims that some doors in Grenfell Tower were not fire-resistant. Fire doors are designed to help prevent flames from spreading quickly through a building in the event of a fire.
7. Inspection work
The last time Grenfell Tower was inspected for fire safety was in December 2015. The UK government requires that buildings be inspected regularly, but the law does not specify how “regular” (!). Experts say every 12 months is best.
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| Artist Leo Sayer (right) came to sing near the burning building to comfort the victims - Photo: Reuters |
8. Fire-resistant design
Under the UK Building Regulations 1991, buildings are recommended to install a system to prevent the spread of fire between floors.
Grenfell Tower was not equipped with such a system. On the other hand, with the level of fire as it was, experts say it would not have helped much in stopping the fire.
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According to TTO
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