Public inquiry into London tower block blaze begins

By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal

LONDON (AA) - A public inquiry into London’s Grenfell Tower fire, which killed at least 80 people in June, will officially open with a hearing on Thursday.

It will look into “what happened at Grenfell Tower and … make recommendations to prevent a similar tragedy happening again” according to a statement.

A preliminary hearing will begin with opening remarks by inquiry chair Sir Martin Moore-Bick, a former judge of the Court of Appeal.

Prime Minister Theresa May announced the inquiry three months ago, and after coming under fire from families and friends of the victims and survivors for insufficient action by the her government.

The Grenfell fire started in an electrical appliance in the early hours of June 14 on a lower floor of the tower block in west London. It engulfed the whole building, trapping many residents inside and killing at least 80 of them, according to emergency services.

This new inquiry will also examine actions taken by Kensington and Chelsea Council, which operated the residential block. It was heavily criticized for its immediate response to the tragedy.

The leader of the council, Nick Paget-Brown, later resigned, saying he accepted a "share of responsibility" for the "perceived failings".

June's deadly inferno, one of the biggest fire tragedies in U.K. history, prompted the government and local authorities to order fire safety checks in hundreds of other high-rise buildings.

These tests proved dozens of blocks used similar building cladding as that found in Grenfell Tower and which has been blamed for the fire’s rapid spread.

In a letter sent to survivors, British police confirmed a criminal investigation into the blaze was ongoing.