Grenfell Tower victims mark six months since fire
December 14, 2017
Survivors of the blaze in London's Grenfell Tower came together at St. Paul's Cathedral on Thursday to mark six months since the fire killed 71 people, including one stillbirth, in the housing block in West London.
"Hosting this service at St Paul's Cathedral, an iconic venue in London, recognizes the significance of this tragedy both for the local community and the wider nation," Bishop of Kensington Graham Tomlin said ahead of the service.
Opening the service, Tomlin said: "Today we ask why warnings were not heeded, why a community was left feeling neglected, uncared for, not listened to."
Although it is located in the affluent borough of Kensington and Chelsea, the 24-story Grenfell Tower was located in a poorer neighborhood and included social housing.
Princes Charlies, William and Harry, as well as Prime Minister Theresa May and Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn also attended the service. Members of the Kensington and Chelsea council were told to stay away, as many of the victims' families have criticized their actions both before and after the June 14 fire.
Victims still in hotels
When the building was refurbished in 2016, a plan to cover the building in better fire-resistant cladding was rejected due to the cost. Residents had repeatedly brought up safety concerns, especially the presence of only a single staircase in a building that had 129 apartments.
Hundreds of people were displaced by the fire, and many are either staying in hotels or facing homelessness as the council remains unable to find new housing for them.
"I am sorry. I'm sorry that they're in hotels," said council leader Elizabeth Campbell to the BBC earlier this week, saying that they were doing everything they could to find comfortable homes for the families. Prime Minister May had promised all the victims would be in new housing within three weeks of the tragedy.
Police are in the midst of a criminal investigation into the fire, and a separate public inquiry into the causes of the fire and the authorities' response is ongoing.
es/ng (AFP, Reuters)