'A number of fatalities' confirmed as huge blaze 'sparked by a faulty FRIDGE' engulfs 27-storey buil

Several people have been confirmed dead after a huge inferno 'sparked by a faulty fridge' broke out at a residential tower block in West London.

Families were forced to 'beg for their lives' as they tried to escape the blaze, while several people are still trapped inside the 27-storey building as it teeters on the brink of collapse.

Grenfell Tower in Latimer Road, White City, is currently 'lurching' to one side after a 'very, very severe fire' broke out in the early hours of Wednesday morning, with those inside claiming a fire alarm failed to sound.

More than 600 residents desperately tried to escape the flames as the fire broke out in the middle of the night, with many woken by the screams of others and the smell of burning plastic.

'A number of fatalities' confirmed as huge blaze 'sparked by a faulty FRIDGE' engulfs 27-storey London tower block

An unprecedented incident is occurring at Grenfell Tower in Latimer Road, White City, west London. The flames have been so intense that it's structural frame has been weakened and the building is lurching to one side. Buildings and homes around the block have been evacuated because of fears the building will collapse.

Apparently a broken fridge in one of the apartments started the fire, but there is no confirmation of this. A faulty alarm did not start, and people were trapped inside.

600 people trapped inside the building have been trying to escape the blaze. There have been many casualties and many more unaccounted for.

A witness mentioned that he saw people jumping off as high as 15 story floors to evade the flames, while many other tried to build ropes with sheets.

This is a tragedy. Fixty people have been rushed to hospitals and at least there is one more person trapped. The fire spread from the floor to the top of the building in 15 minutes, and many who were evacuated say they were woken by screams, and the smell of plastic burning.

Two hundred firefighters are still trying to control the fire.

My prayer go to those who have died, and the injured.

So much terrible news and now this one. Lost for words again on this horrible event.

I've just seen this. Omg it looks dreadful. I can't ever recall a tower block going up like this before. Over 50 taken to hospital so far. Must be terrifying! I hope they get everyone out. This kind of thing is my worst nightmare being trapped in a tower block

a reply to: ElectricUniverse

The building is the Glenfell Tower and it just had a multimillion dollar renovation project completed, part of which was new exterior cladding. The sheathing used on the outside of this building appears to be to blame for the fast spread. It's not unprecedented, the same thing has happened to other towers.

Begs the question, why are they still using this material? It's like strapping bundles of kindling to the outside of a building, this is not acceptable is it? Where are the regulators that are supposed to guard against this?

How a common building material turned a Dubai hotel fire into an inferno

It was at least the eighth such fire in the Emirates alone, and similar blazes have struck major cities across the world, killing dozens of people, according to an Associated Press survey.

The reason, building and safety experts say, is the material used for the buildings’ sidings, called aluminum composite panel cladding. While types of cladding can be made with fire-resistant material, experts say those that have caught fire in Dubai and elsewhere weren’t designed to meet stricter safety standards and often were put onto buildings without any breaks to slow or halt a possible blaze.

a reply to: ElectricUniverse

Some deadly advice from their homeowners association.
link

The smoke detection systems have been upgraded and extended. The Fire Brigade has asked us to reinforce the message that, if there is a fire which is not inside your own home, you are generally safest to stay put in your home to begin with; the Fire Brigade will arrive very quickly if a fire is reported.

The only reason you should leave your home is if the fire is inside your home. In this case you and your family should leave the flat immediately: close your door behind you, leave the building and call the 999, giving your address and postcode.

If there is a fire in the block near your flat, and you believe you are at risk and would prefer to evacuate the building, then please do so using the stairs and wait outside the building for the Fire Brigade to

a reply to: D8Tee

Stay in your home???? seriously? That's the very last thing I'd be doing I'm afraid, I'd be down those stairs in Olympic time

originally posted by: PhyllidaDavenport
a reply to: D8Tee

Stay in your home???? seriously? That's the very last thing I'd be doing I'm afraid, I'd be down those stairs in Olympic time

Stay in your flat policy is pretty common in London. All flats have their individual battery powered smoke detector that is not connected to the main fire panel. Now I dont know this building so just from my experience, the main panel usually located on the ground floor and supposed to be connected to the fire department. Problem is its only 'see' the common areas where smoke detectors are connected to it. E.G bin - rooms, ground floor corridors etc. In case of a fire in the common areas, fire doors in the building should automatically close and resist fire to spread for an hour or so.

I am at a complete loss how this fire spread so fast, although D8Tee member explained they had a new cover of the building.

a reply to: szino9

The new cladding (which was the same cladding as used in the horrendous Duabia Hotel fire) does not have a fire proof core which is why it spread like butter. A faulty fridge allegedly exploded. The fire alarms were also allegedly faulty. The Association that owns this building and many others were warned way back in 2014 that this was a tragedy waiting to happen. Telling people to stay in their flats is a huge mistake. The Housing Association based this advice on the fact that their new doors could withstand a fire for up to 30mins. Not good enough!

This was a renovation project clearly I think done on the cheap with tragic consequences

a reply to: PhyllidaDavenport

My comment was regarding how it is supposed to be based on fire safety measures that were obviously missing there. There will be heads rolling for this one for sure and should be as well.

a reply to: szino9

Shame how it always takes a tragedy before things are done as they should have been in the first place. No doubt heads will roll but small comfort for those dead and injured. Its more disheartening that many of the people there were immigrants and refugees come here to escape death and find themselves in such a frightening position once more

This could be a mass casualty event in the 100's.
It started on the fourth floor and spread up, there was only one stairwell.
Every single new panel burnt off. It was all flammable.
It's a tombstone now.

a reply to: PhyllidaDavenport

their new doors could withstand a fire for up to 30mins.

While the walls around it burn like kindling.

a reply to: D8Tee

Begs the question, why are they still using this material?

Money, to these type anyway, is always the first consideration. Lives are 2nd.. at best.

Apparently They spent the money on looks. Rather then safety.
Some rich man going to sit behind a mic for few days on tele for this..

a reply to: ElectricUniverse

And yet it did not fall demolition style. Amazing

Any word yet on the number of people unaccounted for?

I know they have said 6 dead but how many are unaccounted.

originally posted by: OtherSideOfTheCoin
Any word yet on the number of people unaccounted for?

I know they have said 6 dead but how many are unaccounted.

Not sure - reports are a bit sketchy.
It sounds as though more casualties are likely and a lot of people are suffering from smoke inhalation.
The cause is not yet known - though the mail headlined with 'faulty fridge'

a reply to: ElectricUniverse

If this were 9/11 the building would have collapsed at free fall speed.

a reply to: norhoc

My thought exactly! Of of a sudden the laws of physics are back to normal.

Yes, the $64 million question is why has it not yet collapsed at near free fall speeds?

a reply to: dfnj2015

This is not a 9/11 thread.

You cannot compare to two, they are totally different buildings.