Grenfell Tower residents claim there were no sprinklers or fire alarms working – and they had been told to stay in their flats
THE deadly inferno which raged through Grenfell Tower has been branded a "third-world type accident", as residents said there were no sprinklers or fire alarms in the building.
They also said they had been told to stay in their flats if a fire broke out - but it is feared nobody in the top three floors survived the blaze, which killed at least 12.
Those who fled said no fire alarm sounded, sprinklers failed and stairways were blocked in the building.
And they said firefighters had told residents to stay where they were instead of trying to escape.
Resident Tamara told BBC News: "We could hear people screaming 'Help me' so me and my brother, with some other people who live in the area, ran over to the estate to where you could still get underneath it and there were people just throwing their kids out saying 'Save my children'.
"The fire crew, ambulance and police couldn't do anything, they couldn't get in, and they were just telling them to stay where they are, and we'll come and get you. But things quickly escalated beyond measure and they couldn't go back in and get them."
A former chief firefighter this morning described the devastating scene in north Kensington as a "third-world type accident".
He added: "It represents a failure of every component of fire safety & building management. No words for this..."
Residents of the block issued chilling warnings about the "fire trap" building just months before today’s horror blaze.
The damning revelation comes as the building firm behind £8.6m worth of renovation work at the Grenfell Tower insisted its work "met fire regulations".
An action group set up by tenants at the tower said their fire warnings about fire safety “fell on deaf ears”.
Posting in a blog last year, the group said "only a catastrophic event" would expose the issues.
The group said there was one entry and exit to Grenfell Tower during improvement works and it had issues with evacuation procedures.
They shared their concern with the London Fire Brigade in a letter sent in 2014.
It read: "A number of residents of Grenfell Tower are very concerned at the fact that the new improvement works to Grenfell Tower have turned our building into a fire trap.
"Residents of Grenfell Tower do not have any confidence that our building has been satisfactorily assessed to cope with the new improvement works and we are seeking a meeting with the Chief Fire Officer from Kensington Fire Station so that these concerns can be addressed."
It follow another fire which broke out in the building four years ago, apparently caused by wiring, and as witnesses claim they were told to put towels under their doors and stay put in the event of a fire before today's horrific incident.
Construction company Rydon carried out an £8.6m refurb of Grenfell Tower in May 2016
But barely a year later at least six have been killed and scores injured after a blaze tore through the Ladbroke Grove tower.
Witnesses described how the flames raced up the building’s cladding.
One told Channel 4 News: “The fire blazing was and coming up really fast because of the cladding.
“The cladding was flammable – it just caught up like a matchstick.”
The cause of the fire and how it spread is not yet known.
Another resident called David Benjamin added: “I think what had happened is where it was in the kitchen on fire, it went through the kitchen window and then it started spreading up across the cladding.
“I think what had happened is where it was in the kitchen on fire, it went through the kitchen window and then it started spreading up across the cladding.”
The firm behind the cladding work Harley Facades was placed into administration two years ago, the .
A search of business registration site DueDil showed the company was later placed into liquidation.
It had been paid £3million for the work.
Rydon’s director Andrew Goldman this morning admitted on Good Morning Britain that he didn’t know the “exact specifications” of the cladding.
He said: “We don't know there is any direct link between the fire and cladding.
"There are various different types of cladding and I don’t know the exact specifications.
“It’s a terrible disaster and again we want to get to the bottom as quickly as possible.
"All the materials that we used and the procedures we put in place follow health and safety guidelines.
"These things are signed off by the relevant authorities to make sure they comply."
A statement from the company on the “devastating” fire today read: “Rydon completed a refurbishment of the building in the summer of 2016 for KCTMO (Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation) on behalf of the council, which met all required building control, fire regulation, and health and safety standards.
"We will co-operate with the relevant authorities and emergency services and fully support their inquiries into the causes of this fire at the appropriate time."
The Sun attempted to contact Rydon for comment.
A former chief firefighter this morning described the devastating scene in north Kensington as a "third-world type accident".
He added: "It represents a failure of every component of fire safety & building management. No words for this..."
The cause of the blaze at Grenfell Tower is not known, but a blog post from Grenfell Action Group in November said "only a catastrophic event" would expose the issues.
What we know so far:
- The Metropolitan Police have confirmed six people have died but the death toll is expected to rise after a huge fire engulfed Grenfell Tower in West London just before 1am last night.
- The 24 storey high tower block has 120 apartments.
- Around 69 people have been taken to six hospitals in the capital with 18 in a critical condition.
- A resident said the fire started on the fourth floor.
- Residents are still trapped inside the building but there is no fear of the block collapsing.
- The area around the tower has been closed off and around 200 firefighters are at the scene.
- Authorities say the cause of the fire is still not known.
- Residents have been seen jumping from upper floors in scenes reminiscent of September 11.
- Burning debris has been seen falling from the building.
- London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan has declared the blaze a “major incident”.
- One witness told Sky they believed the fire was started by a faulty fridge.
Several hundred people are thought to have been in the block when the fire was reported at 1.15am on Wednesday, and London Fire Brigade confirmed there had been a "number of fatalities".
Distressed loved ones of missing residents have this morning launched social media appeals in hope of finding them.
After the fire, the group posted: "All our warnings fell on deaf ears and we predicted that a catastrophe like this was inevitable and just a matter of time."
The group also alleged that an announcement in a "regeneration newsletter" merely advised residents "to remain flats in the event of fire."
>In an earlier post the group said: "It is a truly terrifying thought but the Grenfell Action Group firmly believe that only a catastrophic event will expose the ineptitude and incompetence of our landlord."
There is no official confirmation of what started the fire or whether there is any human fault.
The group statement continued: "Unfortunately, the Grenfell Action Group have reached the conclusion that only an incident that results in serious loss of life of KCTMO residents will allow the external scrutiny to occur that will shine a light on the practices that characterise the malign governance of this non-functioning organisation.";
The extent of the catastrophe is yet to emerge, but families were trapped in the burning building hours after it engulfed the block.
There were 120 homes inside and "hundreds" of residents, many of whom are still unaccounted for.
The Lancaster West estate and surrounding buildings have been evacuated with police warning that the building is in danger of collapse.
Nick Paget-Brown, the leader of the Kensington and Chelsea council, has spoken on Sky News UK, saying that he was working to establish how many people were in the tower block at the time of the fire.
“Several hundred would have been in there. It’s a question of establishing how many were in there at the time of the fire.”
He said emergency centres had been set up nearby to accommodate people who had been evacuated from their homes. “We’re providing as much support as we can ... it’s quite hard to get accurate and up-to-date information but the council will be doing all that it can to work with residents who have been evacuated.”
Paget-Brown said he had not spoken to residents who had been evacuated, but said were some being treated by emergency services.
“I think at the moment the main priority is to make the building safe and ensure that residents we can evacuate are evacuated.”
He said he did not know whether people were trapped within the building: “That’s a matter for the emergency services.”
Paget-Brown following a multi-million-dollar refurbishment. “I’m really not in any position to answer any questions about the structure. ... Clearly there’s a lot more work to do to actually evacuate the building and to establish how safe it is.
“This is a very, very, very severe fire.”
He said the tower block was inspected at the time of its renovation last year. “We will have to await the studies as to what the source of this has been.”
On its website, Rydon Construction said: "Externally, rain screen cladding, curtain wall facade and replacement windows were fitted, improving thermal insulation and modernising the exterior of the building."
"The cause of the fire will be fully investigated and we will keep people informed and this page will be updated throughout the day."
The Sun Online has attempted to call Grenfell Tower landlords.