LONDON: A public inquiry into the devastating 2017 London Grenfell Tower blaze that killed 72 people blamed the disaster on failings by the government, construction industry and, most of all, the firms involved in fitting the exterior with flammable cladding.

The fire ripped through the 23-storey social housing block in one of London’s richest areas during the early hours of June 14, 2017. It was Britain’s deadliest blaze in a residential building since World War Two.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer apologised to the relatives of victims and survivors on behalf of the British state, saying they had been failed for years.

“It should never have happened. The country failed to discharge its most fundamental duty, to protect you and your loved ones,” he said in parliament where some bereaved relatives watched on. “Today is a long awaited day of truth, but it must now lead to a day of justice.”

“The simple truth is that the deaths that occurred were all avoidable,” said inquiry chair Martin Moore-Bick. In its long-awaited final report, the inquiry laid most responsibility for the disaster on the companies involved in the maintenance and refit of the apartment tower, failings by local and national authorities as well as companies which had dishonestly marketed combustible cladding materials as safe.

There was criticism and blame levelled at the then-government, the local authority of Kensington and Chelsea, the industry, regulatory groups, specific individuals and an ill-prepared fire brigade.

Published in Dawn, September 5th, 2024