High-rise fire highlighted safety concerns and building construction
Smoke and flames rise from a building on fire in London, Wednesday, June 14, 2017. Metropolitan Police in London say they’re continuing to evacuate people from a massive apartment fire in west London. The fire has been burning for more than three hours and stretches from the second to the 27th floor of the building.(AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
LONDON (AP) — The engineer examining building codes after the Grenfell tower fire that killed 71 people last year in London is calling for a wholesale change in fire safety regulations.
High-Rise Operations: Grenfell Tower Fire
Judith Hackitt says a new regulatory framework is needed to strengthen the system, though she stopped short of calling for a ban on flammable cladding that is believed to have contributed to the blaze. Her report will be released Thursday.
She says in an interview with the BBC, “this is a broken system that needs to be fixed.”
The disaster raised questions about the rich-poor divide in Britain, in part because it took place at a publicly owned tower block in one of London’s richest areas. Many residents accused authorities of ignoring safety concerns raised months before the fire.
All contents © copyright 2018 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
