Prime Minister Theresa May has ordered a full public inquiry into the fire that engulfed a west London block of flats, killing at least 17 people.<\/p>\n
That figure is expected to rise, as fire chiefs do not expect to find any more survivors in the burnt-out Grenfell Tower, in north Kensington.<\/p>\n
People have been desperately seeking news of missing family and friends.<\/p>\n
The PM said people “deserve answers” as to why the fire spread so rapidly and that the inquiry “will give them”.<\/p>\n
Mrs May, who made a brief, private visit to the scene earlier, said: “[The emergency services] told me that the way this fire had spread and took hold of the building was rapid, it was ferocious, it was unexpected.<\/p>\n
“So it is right that, in addition to the immediate fire report that will be produced and any potential police investigation, that we do have a full public inquiry to get to the bottom of this.”<\/p>\n
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, also visited the site, telling community leaders “the truth has to come out”.<\/p>\n
Number 10 confirmed the inquiry will be judge-led.<\/p>\n
The BBC’s assistant political editor Norman Smith: “It (the inquiry) will almost certainly hold its evidence sessions in public and those who will give evidence will include the local council, the builders, the contractors but yes too, I suspect the tenants and the relatives of some of the victims,” he added.<\/p>\n
Housing minister Alok Sharma said the government is working with the local authority to ensure that “every single family will be re-housed in the local area”.<\/p>\n
Fire minister Nick Hurd called the fire a “national tragedy” and said there was “no room for plodding bureaucracy”.<\/p>\n
He said there should be “no stone unturned on this because we completely understand the shock, the concern, the anger, the frustration, the fear that is out there”.<\/p>\n
Firefighters were called to the 24-storey residential tower in the early hours of Wednesday, at a time when hundreds of people were inside, most of them sleeping.<\/p>\n
Many were woken by neighbours, or shouts from below, and fled the building.<\/p>\n
Fire crews rescued 65 adults and children, but some stayed in their homes, trapped by smoke and flames.<\/p>\n
More than 30 people remain in hospital – 17 of whom are in a critical condition.<\/p>\n
The Queen earlier said her “thoughts and prayers” are with families.<\/p>\n
–<\/p>\n
Source: BBC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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