LONDON: It will be “many months” before authorities will be able to give a final death toll for the London tower block blaze, police said on Wednesday while stressing the enormity of the task.

“We are many months from being able to provide the number of people who accurately represents the loss of life at Grenfell Tower,” detective Fiona McCormack told journalists. “We believe around 80 people to be dead or sadly missing and I must presume that they are dead,” she said.

The Guardian newspaper said resident Sajad Jamalvatan had compiled a list which suggested the true figure could be above 120.

Prime Minister Theresa May told parliament on Wednesday that it was her understanding that “this particular cladding was not compliant with building regulations”. All 120 high-rises tested so far have failed the ongoing safety checks, the prime minister told parliament.

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2017