Public outrage simmers as inquiry into fire at London's Grenfell Tower begins

Share

Three months after a fire at the Grenfell Tower social housing project in London killed at least 80 people, a public inquiry has begun amid a mood of anger among many former residents and questions about whether the probe can ever heal the deep divisions.

Retired judge Sir Martin Moore-Bick formally opened the inquiry on Thursday with a minute of silence for the victims of the fire, which broke out shortly after 1 a.m. on June 14 and quickly engulfed the 24-storey building. Sir Martin then outlined the terms of the inquest, which will explore a range of issues including how the fire started, the response of emergency services and the design of the building.

"We are acutely aware, not only that so many people died or were injured in the fire, but that many of those who survived have been severely affected by their experiences," Sir Martin said. "We are also conscious that many have lost everything and even now are dependent on others for many of their daily needs. The inquiry cannot undo any of that, but it can and will provide answers to the pressing questions of how a disaster of this kind could occur in 21st-century London and thereby, I hope, provide a small measure of solace."

His words did little to ease the outrage that has been building among former residents, in the neighbourhood around Grenfell and across much of the country. The tragedy has raised difficult questions about class, race and the role of social housing in Britain. It's also prompted a review of fire safety at other tower blocks and, so far, 228 buildings have been found to be at risk. Police have indicated that they may never know exactly how many people died in the fire because they don't know the identity of everyone who lived in the building.

The fire has also deepened the culture clash in Kensington and Chelsea, the wealthy London borough that managed the Grenfell Tower. The building is nestled in the northwest corner of the borough, along with several other social-housing projects, only a few blocks from some of the most expensive houses in the world. Residents say they complained to the council for years about the lack of sprinklers and fire alarms in the tower but their concerns were largely ignored. They have also questioned whether the council opted for cheaper cladding on the building to save money even though the material did not meet building code regulations. And they've been infuriated by the insensitivity of borough council leader Elizabeth Campbell, who acknowledged last month that she has never set foot inside a tower block apartment.

The anger was evident on Thursday when Sir Martin gave his opening address in an ornate meeting hall in central London, far from the charred remains of Grenfell. Many saw the setting with its glittering chandeliers as inappropriate and some heckled the judge as he left. Closer to Grenfell, a small group of survivors and residents gathered in the sanctuary of the Notting Hill Methodist Church to watch a broadcast of Sir Martin's address. The church sits in the shadow of Grenfell and it has become something of a focal point for the community.

"It's a total whitewash," said one woman as she stormed out of the church after listening to him.

"I didn't see anything in there that made me hopeful," said Marcia Haynes, who lives near the tower and arrived at the church wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with a photo of the building on fire and the word "murderers" written across the top. "They are used to dragging things out in this country, hoping that you'll forget and go away. We're not going anywhere."

Her daughter and grandson lived next to Grenfell and they watched in horror that night as people jumped from the flames while others screamed for help. At first, firefighters told people to stay in their units even as the fire rapidly spread, leaving some residents waiting for help that never arrived. Others scrambled down the building's only stairwell, which filled with smoke. Now her daughter's family, like many others, is living in temporary housing waiting for a permanent home.

Sir Martin tried to offer assurances, saying the inquiry would go as broad as possible and wouldn't shy away from asking difficult questions or probing officials at every level. He plans to break the inquiry into two phases; the first will look at how the fire started and the response by emergency services, while the second will examine the design and construction of the building. He also vowed to make firm recommendations to prevent a similar tragedy from happening again. And he noted that the police investigation is continuing, something officials have said could lead to charges of corporate manslaughter. But he declined to give survivors a formal role in the inquiry, refusing to hire anyone from the building as an adviser because it would compromise the inquiry's impartiality. And he has declined to broaden the scope to include issues relating to social housing.

"I don't understand his reservations and I think we have been treated as second-class citizens for 20 years now," said Samia Badani, who lives in Bramley Tower, a social housing project next to Grenfell, and heads the residents' association. "What he has failed to give us as an alternative is reassurance that whoever is going to advise him understands the community and understands the relationships that take place in social housing."

Others, like Vassiliki Stavrou-Loraine, who also lives in Bramley, said she will take a wait-and-see approach to the inquiry but she worries about how long the probe will take. Sir Martin has indicated that his first report will be released by Easter 2018, but that deadline could be extended and reports will come months later. "The disappointing part is the length of time," said Ms. Stavrou-Loraine. "Up until now [the survivors] cannot grieve, they cannot bring closure to what has happened."

Tomassina Hessel said she is simply hoping the inquiry will get to the bottom of what happened and offer some comfort to survivors like her who are still waiting to be rehoused. "We want the truth to come out and people to be held to account," said Ms. Hessel, who lived in a complex next to Grenfell and was evacuated from her building, which was partlypartially destroyed. She has been living in a hotel with her three-year old son ever since, waiting for a new place to live.

"This tragedy will stay with us for life," she said. "It's a scar that we'll carry but moving on. I think we've become empowered and we've united really well. We're stronger than ever, closer than ever. I think we have a choice to wallow in this or step up and move forward."