The Grenfell Tower fire was caused by “decades of failure” by the construction industry and the government to look into the dangers of flammable materials in high-rise buildings.
The final report of the Grenfell Tower fire which was led by retired judge Sir Tim Moore-Bick who chaired a public inquiry released the report into what caused the fire in 2017.
The Grenfell Tower was completely destroyed as the high-rise block of flats was covered with inflammable cladding amid “systematic dishonesty” of companies who sell the materials, Sir Martin said.
There was 72 people who were killed in the fire and these deaths were avoidable and those who lived in the apartment block were “failed” by the construction industry and the authorities.
Sir Martin’s report found that dishonesty, greed and incompetence was to blame and that politicians had pushed for deregulation, meaning the safety of live was “ignored, delayed or disregarded.”
The year before the Grenfell Tower fire the Conservative government was “well aware” over the risks of flammable cladding, however they “failed to act on what it knew.”
The report tore apart cladding company Arconic and Celotex and Kingspan who are insulation firms.
Sir Martin’s report found Celotex tried to break into the market and “embarked on a dishonest scheme to mislead its customers and the wider market.”
Kingspan “knowingly created a false market in insulation” on building over 18 metres and Arconic was found to have “deliberately concealed from the market the true extent of the danger” with their products on high-rise buildings in particular.
The Prime Minister said of the release of Sir Martin’s report there was “substantial and widespread failings” and vowed the Labour government will consider the report’s recommendations carefully “to ensure that such a tragedy cannot occur again.”
Sir Keir Starmer added, “My thoughts today are wholly with those bereaved by, and survivors of, the Grenfell Tower tragedy and the residents in the immediate community. This day is for them.
“I hope that Sir Martin’s report can provide the truth they have sought for so long, and that it is step towards the accountability and justice they deserve.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the residents of Grenfell “paid a price for systemic dishonesty, corporate greed and institutional indifference and neglect.”
The Mayor added, “Profit has been put before people… [It] isn’t just shameful, it’s utterly indefensible.”
London Fire Brigade commissioner Andy Roe said on Wednesday, “On this day, our thoughts remain with the 72 people who lost their lives, the survivors, their families, and the entire Grenfell community. We must never forget the impact the tragedy has had on that community.
“On the night of the fire, the brigade faced the most formidable challenge that any fire service in the UK has confronted in living memory.
Staff responding to the fire on the night of the tragedy, as well as members of other emergency services who attended in support of the brigade, showed extreme courage in the face of the most appalling of circumstances.
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