A public inquiry into the devastating 2017 London Grenfell Tower blaze that killed 72 people blamed the disaster on failings by the government, construction industry and, most of all, the firms involved in fitting the exterior with flammable cladding.
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00:00A public inquiry into the devastating 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in London, which claimed
00:0772 lives, has placed the blame squarely on government failures, the construction industry,
00:14and most notably, the companies responsible for installing flammable cladding on the building's
00:19exterior.
00:20The fire ripped through the 23-story social housing block in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods
00:25in the early hours of June 14, 2017, becoming the deadliest residential blaze in Britain
00:31since World War II.
00:33The simple truth is that the deaths that occurred were all avoidable, and those who lived in
00:40the tower were badly failed over a number of years and in a number of different ways
00:46by those who were responsible for ensuring the safety of the building and its occupants.
00:52In its long-awaited final report, the inquiry assigned the greatest responsibility to the
00:57companies involved in the maintenance and refurbishment of the tower, highlighting systemic
01:02failures by local and national authorities.
01:06The report also condemned companies for dishonestly marketing combustible cladding materials as
01:11safe.
01:12Spanning nearly 1,700 pages, the report described the disaster as the result of decades of failure
01:20where profit was prioritized over people's safety.
01:24Grenfell United, a group representing some survivors and bereaved families, criticized
01:29the government for enabling corporations to profit while dictating regulations.
01:34Today, we send a message to Keir Starmer and his government.
01:39This country has been failed by governments of all political persuasions.
01:44Our expectation is your government will break old habits and implement all the recommendations
01:50made by Sir Martin Morbick's report without further delay, because the time to address
01:56this is already three decades too late.
01:59In Parliament, Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued an apology on behalf of the British
02:04state to the victims' families and survivors, acknowledging that they had been failed for years.
02:10I want to start with an apology on behalf of the British state to each and every one
02:17of you and indeed to all of the families affected by this tragedy.
02:24It should never have happened.
02:27The country failed to discharge its most fundamental duty, to protect you and your loved ones.
02:34Mr. Speaker, today is a long-awaited day of truth, but it must now lead to a day of justice.
02:41Justice for the victims and the families of Grenfell.
02:44But also a moment to reflect on the state of social justice in our country and a chance
02:49for this government of service to turn the page.
02:52Because this tragedy poses fundamental questions about the kind of country we are.
02:58A previous report by the Inquiry in 2019, which focused on the events of the night,
03:03revealed that an electrical fault in a fourth-floor refrigerator sparked the fire.
03:08The flames spread rapidly due to the building's exterior cladding, installed during a 2016
03:14refurbishment, made of flammable aluminum composite material that acted as a fuel source.
03:20The harrowing testimonies, including recordings from those who perished while awaiting rescue
03:25after following official guidance to stay put, sparked widespread anger and national
03:30introspection about building standards and the treatment of low-income communities.