Britain launches inquiry into Grenfell Tower disaster

Britain Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday launched a government inquiry into the London high-rise fire disaster at Grenfell Tower in June that killed at least 80 people.

May announced the government’s approval of the parameters of the inquiry.

The deadly blaze on June 14 that spread rapidly on the outside of the West London building is believed to have been facilitated by the tower’s external cladding, first installed in 2015 and 2016.

Residents had expressed safety concerns about the use of potentially combustible external cladding for several years before the incident.

The government inquiry will look at the cause and spread of the fire, the history of the building, its most recent renovation, and the state of building and fire regulations.

General grievances at the social housing block are not due to be taken into consideration in spite of the demands of survivors and victims’ relatives, though the prime minister vowed to address the topic.

“I am determined that the broader questions raised by this fire, including around social housing are not left unanswered.

“The inquiry will also look at “the actions of the local authority and other bodies before the tragedy,” May wrote in a statement published on the government’s website.

She said they will also investigate the response of the London Fire Brigade to the fire and the response of central and local government in the aftermath

The chair of the inquiry, former appeal court judge Martin Moore-Bick, said he anticipated a preliminary hearing on the inquiry’s findings in mid-September.