London tower block fire death toll climbs to 30

By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal

LONDON (AA) - The death toll from the Grenfell Tower block fire in London has reached 30, the Metropolitan Police confirmed on Friday.

Twenty-four people are still receiving treatment in hospitals across London and 12 remain in a critical condition, according to the authorities.

This number is likely to rise further, Metropolitan Police Commander Stuart Cundy has warned.

A young Syrian refugee was identified on Thursday as one of the first victims of the huge fire which gutted the apartment block in west London earlier this week.

Twenty-three-year-old Mohammad Alhajali was just one of dozens of people believed to have lost their lives in the inferno.

The emergency services have said there is no chance of finding survivors and confirmed operations at the site were now just to recover more bodies.

Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth II and her grandson Prince William visited a local sports center where Grenfell residents who lost their homes are being temporarily accommodated.

Having ordered a full public inquiry into the incident, Prime Minister Theresa May also visited some victims at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital after criticism she failed to visit residents on Thursday during a visit to the site.

London’s Metropolitan Police earlier on Friday confirmed they had launched a criminal investigation into the incident.

The anger of local residents mounted on Friday; a protest rally calling for "justice" will take place in Westminster, site of the U.K. parliament, and could attract up to 1,800 people.

London mayor Sadiq Khan faced hostility from a group of residents during a visit to Grenfell Tower on Thursday.