London's Grenfell Tower fire of 2017: all 72 deaths “could have been prevented”, says inquest

The 72 deaths in London's 2017 Grenfell Tower fire, Britain's worst residential blaze since the Second World War, could “all have been prevented”, inquiry chairman Martin Moore-Bick said on Wednesday.

“The simple truth is that the deaths that occurred could all have been avoided, and that those who lived in the tower were seriously betrayed for years (...) by those who were responsible for the safety of the building and its occupants,” said the retired former judge, presenting the findings of the inquiry.

This fire is “the culmination of decades of failures by central government and other bodies in positions of responsibility in the construction sector”, concluded the authors of the investigation.

This final report on Britain's worst residential fire since the Second World War also highlights the “systematic dishonesty” of building materials companies.

Following the publication of the report, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK government would ensure that the “tragedy” of the Grenfell Tower fire “can never happen again”.

On June 14, 2017, fire broke out in the middle of the night in the kitchen of an apartment on the fourth floor of Grenfell Tower, starting with a faulty refrigerator. The flames quickly engulfed the 24-storey building, and local residents watched helplessly as dozens of residents were trapped in the blaze.