Grenfell Tower Inquiry Government & Contractors to Blame

London 7 years after a devastating fire in a London high-rise claimed 72 lives an extensive public inquiry is about to release its findings on the errors and oversights that transformed a small kitchen fire into Britain's deadliest Blaze since World War II the years long inquiry into the 2017 grenfell Tower fire concluded that there was no single cause for the tragedy instead it pointed to a combination of dishonest companies ineffective regulators and a complacent government that allowed the building to be clad in flammable materials which turned a minor fire into a catastrophic event the inquiry led by retired Judge Martin morck stated the fire at grenfell Tower was the result of Decades of failure by central government and other responsible bodies in the construction industry to thoroughly investigate the dangers of using combustible materials in the external walls of high-rise residential buildings and to act on the information they had while the report May provide some of the answer survivors have sought it remains uncertain whether those responsible will face prosecution police will review the inquiry findings before deciding on any charges the fire started in a fourth floor apartment in the early hours of June 14th 2017 and quickly spread up the 25-story building fueled by flammable cladding on its exterior walls the disaster shocked the nation and raised serious concerns about lack safety regulations and the failures of officials and businesses that contributed to the high death toll the report asked how was it possible in 21st century London for a reinforced concrete building itself structurally impervious to fire to be turned into a death trap it concluded there is no simple answer to that question grenfell Tower built from concrete in the 1970s had been refurbished in the years before the fire with cladding made of aluminum and polyethylene a material that melts and drips when exposed to heat the report harshly criticized the companies that produced the buildings cladding accusing them of system dishonesty manipulating safety tests and misrepresenting results to falsely claim that the material was safe it described insulation manufacturer celotex as unscrupulous and accused another insulation firm kingspan of cynically exploiting the industry's lack of detailed knowledge the report also stated that cladding panel maker arconic concealed from the market the true extent of the danger the combustible cladding was used on the building because it was cheap and due to the incompetence of the organization and individuals involved in the refurbishment including Architects engineers and contractors who assumed that safety was someone else's responsibility the inquiry found that these failures were compounded by weak enforcement of building standards local Authority disinterest and a complacent conservative L UK government that ignored safety warnings due to its commitment to deregulation the inquiry which was announced by the government the day after the fire conducted over 300 public hearings and reviewed approximately 1,600 witness statements an initial report published in 2019 focused on the events of the night of the fire and criticized the fire department for instructing residents to stay in their apartments and await rescue the advice was only changed nearly 2 hours after the fire started too late for many residents on the upper floors the grenfell disaster prompted deep reflection on inequality in Britain grenfell was a public housing Building located in one of London's wealthiest neighborhoods just steps away from the upscale boutiques and elegant homes of nodding Hill many victims were working-class people with immigrant backgrounds hailing from 23 different countries including taxi drivers Architects a poet an acclaimed Young artist retirees and 18 children the report stated that the inquiry found no evidence that any of the decisions that led to the creation of a dangerous building or the disastrous spread of fire were influenced by racial or social Prejudice following the fire the UK government Banned Me composite cladding panels for all new buildings and ordered the removal of similar combustible cladding from hundreds of tower blocks across the country however the process has been slow due to disputes over who should bear the costs the report made several recommendations including stricter fire safety regulations the establishment of a National Fire and Rescue college and the creation of a single independent regulator for the construction industry to replace the current fragmented system the ruined Tower which stood for months after the fire as a somber Monument on the west London Skyline remains standing now covered in white sheeting a green heart and the words grenfell forever in our hearts are displayed at the top police are investigating numerous individuals and companies and are considering charges including corporate and individual manslaughter however they have indicated that any prosecutions are unlikely to occur before late 2026 Sandra Ruiz whose 12-year-old niece Jessica Urbano Ramirez died in the fire stated for me there's no justice without people going behind bars our lives were shattered on that night people need to be held accountable she said those who prioritize profit over people's safety need to be behind bars