Grenfell flammable cladding ‘principal’ reason for fire’s rapid spread

source: Huff Post
published: 22 October 2019

Lives were lost in Grenfell Tower because controversial “stay put” advice was not revoked earlier but flammable cladding was the “principal” reason behind the catastrophic fire’s rapid spread, the official inquiry has found.

Judge Sir Martin Moore-Bick, who leads the inquiry, has called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to back 46 changes to laws and regulations to ensure the safety of high-rise residents.

The retired judge also hit out at the London Fire Brigade’s “gravely inadequate” preparation for such a disaster, adding that having no strategy to evacuate the tower was a “major omission”.

But he made clear that man who lived in the flat where the fire started, Behailu Kebede, was not to blame.

Survivors had previously urged chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick to formally exonerate Kebede, who was offered police protection after false reports of his culpability circulated online.

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