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Grenfell Tower enquiry

(204 Posts)
MawBroon Tue 05-Jun-18 09:33:16

Just as I thought the enquiry into the disaster could not get any more heart-rending, it seems that as well as inadequate fire safety measures, a valuable 30 minute window when residents could possibly have escaped was lost due to poor advice.
It just gets worse.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/grenfell-tower-inquiry-latest-updates-cladding-fire-safety-advice-failings-report-barbara-lane-a8382681.html

Lilyflower Wed 06-Jun-18 11:07:58

It just goes to show that, in an emergency, you should think for yourself and not wait around to obey instructions.

Anniebach Wed 06-Jun-18 11:14:29

A solicitor for the man where the fire started has said the mans family had been advised to leave for their safety and the man offered witness protection . When the fire started the man alerted all on the same floor. He then left the building and spoke to the firemen explaining his fridge had gone on fire. So he did all he could.

trisher Wed 06-Jun-18 11:17:09

And shocking to hear police had advised the witness protection scheme and he was too "terrified" to appear in person at the enquiry. This poor man not only lost everything he is now being persecuted.

Anniebach Wed 06-Jun-18 11:21:49

As his family had been advised to leave the flat before the fire for their own safety there could be a different reason for the man offered protection.

EmilyHarburn Wed 06-Jun-18 11:27:40

The man in flat 16 where something, in or around a tall fridge freezer started the fire did his best.

'Quick, quick, it's burning': Harrowing 999 call of Grenfell Tower father after the deadly fire started in his kitchen is played to public inquiry as shocking pictures reveal his gutted apartment
The cladding on the outside of building helped fire spread rapidly, but residents were told to 'stay put'
The fire spread through seven storeys within just seven minutes, and 19 storeys within 12 minutes
A firefighting lift did not work, which meant firefighters had to walk up and down the block's 25 storeys
Key players involved in the 2016 refurbishment had not looked into how cladding would behave in a fire
Materials forming the cladding system did not comply 'with the recommended fire performance' tests
The windows lacked fire resisting cavity barriers and were surrounded by combustible material
Up to 100 fire doors didn't comply to fire rules. Some lasted as little as 20 minutes rather than the required 60

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5803013/First-pictures-inside-gutted-flat-Grenfell-inferno-began.html

www.thesun.co.uk/news/3799392/grenfell-tower-fire-victims-london-blaze-death-toll/

GrannyGravy13 Wed 06-Jun-18 11:43:23

MaryEliza, if what you say is true, I stand corrected, and apologise. I had not heard that version of events. Like all disasters, many versions emerge, and that is what the enquiry is for to sort fact from fiction.

MaisieD I am not aware of his religious beliefs, not mine or anybody else's business what God he prays to.

I am however very sad about the people who tragically lost their lives, and the loved ones who survived them.

However, that does not stop my blood boiling over the few total toe rags who have tried to cash in on others misery and conned the state out of hundreds of thousand pounds. This is a fact and has been widely reported.

maryeliza54 Wed 06-Jun-18 12:04:20

‘Am I the only person who has not heard what happened to the guy who's fridge started the fire? Who supposedly knocked on his neighbours door to warn them, who had a packed case with him, and his wife and child/ children had gone away a few days earlier??’

You posted the above - you had no evidence base for it at all other than rumour. It has within it the seeds of the sort of conspiracy theory that raged around after 9/11. Why post it? You could just have posted the first sentence but no you put in what you must have known were comments that reflected negatively on him and fuelled rumour and speculation. The poor man suffered terribly afterwards and was in fear of his life because of the type of speculation than you thought it was fine to spew out on here.

I know about the false claims and they are facts - but you are wrong to say that that was just as bad as the disaster itself. Again I wonder what your motive was for posting that on a thread about the enquiry?

icanhandthemback Wed 06-Jun-18 12:09:33

The Fire Service will need to look at their procedures again but if the building had been renovated properly, they would have been giving sound advice. It would be impossible for them to contain a fire sufficiently if they had to battle with a mass exodus down the stairs as the FF's were trying to deliver hoses. The FS have to avoid loss of life whilst balancing effective dowsing of fire alongside the amount of damage they might cause in doing so. I know that there is always a drive in the FS in our area to do the best job possible (with the ever decreasing resources) in preventing and fighting fires.

mabon1 Wed 06-Jun-18 12:22:12

If there is a whitewash then it's a national scandal.

Rosina Wed 06-Jun-18 12:37:12

I also read that the standard advice in flat fires is to stay put, as flats are designed to contain the fire within the concrete structure of each home. I think we have all seen news items of flat fires where there is one blackened or burned property with just smoke staining on the homes around. The prospect of dozens of people trying to get downstairs in smoke, panic and confusion while firefighters are trying to get up them to deal with the blaze explains why this is the standard procedure. Grenfell was such a horribly different situation, but who knew that it would go up like a tinder box when the outside cladding ignited?

maryeliza54 Wed 06-Jun-18 12:43:46

Excellent post Rosina

newnanny Wed 06-Jun-18 12:46:20

The inquiry also found Tony Blair to blame because when in power one of the things he did was to relax safety standards on flats and also building regulations in general. I find myself disliking that man more and more and wonder what other disaster he contributed to that is still to surface.

maryeliza54 Wed 06-Jun-18 12:54:19

newnanny what enquiry was that then? Or are you just using this thread to have a cheap political shot at TB?#anotherreasonwhyihatethreadsaboutGT

Anniebach Wed 06-Jun-18 13:04:53

The last update to building regs was 2010, Blair stood down in 2007.

maryeliza54 Wed 06-Jun-18 13:11:08

Yes that’s right ab but what I really wanted from nn was information about the enquiry that has found TB to blame? What enquiry?

Jaycee5 Wed 06-Jun-18 13:25:33

GrannyGravy The Inquiry has already stated that the man in whose flat the fire started is not in any way at fault. You seem eager to blame him and what you have reported is nothing but rumour, much of it started on some fairly unsavoury right wing sites.

icanhandthemback Wed 06-Jun-18 13:27:13

Grannygravy has stood corrected and apologised. She can hardly do more, Jaycee5.

maryeliza54 Wed 06-Jun-18 13:53:12

I don’t agree at all ican. This is a thread about the worst loss of life in the UK since WW2. If anyone comes on to post it’s unforgivable to be repeating lies - if you can post on here you can google first - or maybe some people don’t want to check? There are far too many examples on GN of posters getting in a froth or encouraging a froth because they post lies they’ve read or heard somewhere. This topic is too serious

GrannyGravy13 Wed 06-Jun-18 14:24:03

As per my previous post, I apologise for not double checking the facts. I also think it is a horrendous travesty and loss of life.

As for "posting lies that they read or heard somewhere" I think we all get our information from listening and reading, unless we were an eye witness or involved in any incident.

My only crime here is reading a wrong account on the internet and being behind the news of the enquiry.

I am / was not "creating a froth" but joining in a discussion on G'net.

How many times does one have to apologise for getting something wrong, I am sure we all have at some stage in our lives.

I have only just started joining in threads, I will have to think long and hard whether or not to continue. Which I think will be a shame as I was just beginning to feel part of the G'net community, and not so lonely.

maryeliza54 Wed 06-Jun-18 14:46:13

What you posted GG was so clearly asking questions suggesting misbehaviour on the man’s part that you should had googled to establish what was going on. You would have come up in seconds with 1000s of links questioning this conspiratorial version of events. As grown ups posting on a public forum we shouldn’t be posting one internet version of anything serious like this - we should be sensible enough to look at more than one source and particularly when the accusations contained in the account are so serious. You do know that people have been physically attacked and even murdered because of untrue social media rumours and downright lies? It’s easy to continued posting on GN - just check your ‘facts’ before you post and ask yourself how likely is this to be true. Trust ( on the whole) sites like Daily Telegraph Guardian, Independent - not Twitter, Daily Mail,Express or any random shared post on FB. Look for corroboration between different sites. At the moment you can actually follow the enquiry live - I’ve been doing that this morning and it’s very moving. I’m sorry you’re lonely and hope you stay but the truth of what you post matters with serious issues like this. That poor man has had a terrible time because of the lies ( that you repeated)

Peardrop50 Wed 06-Jun-18 14:53:03

GrannyGravy, if you read most of the main threads you will notice that maryeliza54 loves to stir and will find argument with anybody.
You are entitled to make your point and I hope you continue to contribute, a balanced argument is so much more interesting.
I think we all agree that the Grenfell Towers tragedy is horrendous, questions must be answered and lessons must be learned.
Our hearts are with the victims of course but it doesn't stop us feeling real anger at the scum who tried to profit from other peoples pain and loss.

You were right to say so.

Anniebach Wed 06-Jun-18 14:55:20

Grannygravy, I have often done the same. Hang on with us, I find the forum helps my loneliness too ?

Anniebach Wed 06-Jun-18 14:56:30

Maryeliza, do stop telling others how to post

Bridgeit Wed 06-Jun-18 14:58:47

Goodness me MARYELIZA is there any need to be so harsh to a new GNetter.
GRANNYGRAVY, please don’t be put off. There are many benifits for being on GN also some pleasant threads , but sadly as in real life there are many shades of attitude, which sadly can at times come across harsh & bullying . I do often question my own responses on here it seems that anonymity CAN bring out the worst in us.best wishes

maryeliza54 Wed 06-Jun-18 15:00:22

So Peardrops I love to stir - you actually mean challenge with facts. My main thrust was that discredit lies nearly a year old should not be posted without being called out. The second point was about the false claims and saying that they were as equally bad as the fire - no they were not, not in a million years. And rather than stirring yourself with personal attacks on me, you should leave GG to decide for herself.