Tower block fire - london

robfosters · 14 Jun 2017 at 04:14

bloody Nora!!!

Just got in after a night out and switched the news on. This fire in North Kensington is unbelievable! Honestly, if you haven't seen it, switch on the news. The whole block is ablaze. Never seen anything like it.

I've never seen a whole high rise tower block ablaze like this. Just horrific. Hundreds of people having their lives ripped apart in a few hours.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-40269625

Best wishes to all those affected.

robfosters · 14 Jun 2017 at 04:21

Surely it's in danger of collapse?

robfosters · 14 Jun 2017 at 17:32

Scummy TV crews trying to shove cameras into grieving people's faces. Not surprised they nearly got a smack.

robfosters · 14 Jun 2017 at 18:48

Abraxaz1 said:
Jesus what did I start.

I love how 5 live are saying "why does it take a disaster like this to change things, do we not care about people" obviously have never been near industry. It took multiple tragedies to bring in the multiple regulations we have, i.e. flixborough disaster and piper alpha brought in the dsear regulations.

Unfortunately you cannot regulate for every possible situation as it would mean no work would be done. There is a risk vs cost involved in all work. If the risk is low then there is no point spending a large amount of money on it

Every episode of Aircrash investigation I've watched always ends with new procedures and regulations being brought in to prevent the incident happening again.

robfosters · 14 Jun 2017 at 20:33

The reaction of the locals has been fantastic. People turning up with so much food and supplies that the centres are no longer able to take any more in.

Sometimes it seems like the general public responds better to situations like this than the government is capable of.

robfosters · 14 Jun 2017 at 22:42

Greebo said:
Except for the tools BF harnessing Muslims donating food.

Sorry, what does BF mean and is that supposed to be harassing?

robfosters · 14 Jun 2017 at 22:50

Mynight said:
I assume Britain First.

Just googled it what happened today. Utter tools the lot of them.

robfosters · 15 Jun 2017 at 09:23

I wonder if the banks will find a way to forego their usual security and allow residents to withdraw cash from their accounts without cards or ID.

robfosters · 15 Jun 2017 at 09:31

d_brennen said:
I genuinely wonder what's going to happen to the site. I take it the fire damage was just too great to reuse the shell of the building so I guess it's coming down. What will go up in it's place? More social housing or "affordable" shoe boxes?

I highly doubt another tower block will go up, who would want to live in it after that, and there's not enough space to build low rise social housing for 600. I would suggest the site is cleared and probably turned into some form of memorial garden. If they can't find all the bodies then the site will probably be consecrated anyway.

darkgen said:
It will be redeveloped with limited social housing with the displaced shipped out to other boroughs. I also would not be surprised if the other tower block is deemed unsafe and emptied.

I don't think they will ship people out to other boroughs. That would be viewed too insensitive and akin to social cleansing. They will need to rehouse them in the borough or offer huge compensation to be moved out of it.

We don't know what damages could come out of this yet. Could be astronomical.

robfosters · 15 Jun 2017 at 09:48

Screeeech said:
Pretty much what happened with the Heygate estate at Elephant & Castle,

Circumstances were very different.

robfosters · 15 Jun 2017 at 13:13

PM says residents will be rehomed near the area.

robfosters · 15 Jun 2017 at 13:57

antijoke said:
Did she say that when she popped down for 20 minutes to just talk to the emergency services and didn't speak to any residents?

I dunno. Blimey, I'm only reporting what I've seen!

robfosters · 15 Jun 2017 at 15:07

First victim named. 23 year old Syrian refugee Mohammed Al-Hajali. Tragic. Come here for a better life and end up suffering that.

robfosters · 15 Jun 2017 at 16:14

Sky have a lot of faults but the newscaster presenting at the moment does seem like a genuinely nice bloke. I suppose when you have been at the scene for such a long time talking to so many people, you begin to feel part of it.

robfosters · 16 Jun 2017 at 11:08

The Tories are having a nightmare with this. They seem so ingenuine when trying to talk about it in a sympathetic manner. And their efforts to defend the PM are cringeworthy.

robfosters · 16 Jun 2017 at 16:29

Someone got derided earlier in the thread for claiming it could cause a riot. It's getting a bit hairy at the town hall.

robfosters · 16 Jun 2017 at 16:52

Mr.E. said:
Oh yeah, lets start a riot, more destruction and fire, just what the community needs !

Not just their community, the whole of London. Rioters seem to think that because something bad happens in one part of London, it gives them the right to smash their way into Ladbrokes and nick their tellies.

robfosters · 16 Jun 2017 at 17:18

LOAM said:
Missing feared dead figure is now 70 (unconfirmed)

Unconfirmed but surely right?

robfosters · 24 Jun 2017 at 11:11

Watching coverage on Sky news. A complete farce. 73 year old woman sitting on a bench all night because they can't rehouse her because she has a dog.

robfosters · 24 Jun 2017 at 11:58

The council says they will reimburse people who have paid for their own accommodation.

I wonder what the cutoff is? Hotels in that area are not exactly cheap, you can be looking at £200 a night just for a budget hotel. If they have to be gone a week, that's nigh on £1500.