Summary

  • Police presume 58 dead but the BBC understands the toll may rise to about 70

  • Government promises £5,500 for every household left homeless by the fire

  • London Mayor Sadiq Khan says the disaster was a "preventable accident"

  • Minute's silence to be held on Monday at 11.00am

  • Chancellor says Grenfell Tower cladding was banned on high rises

  • Church services take place across the UK to honour victims

  1. Khan: Tragedy caused by years of neglectpublished at 16:24 British Summer Time 18 June 2017

    Mayor of London Sadiq Khan leaves Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell TowerImage source, PA
    Image caption,

    Mayor of London Sadiq Khan leaves Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower

    The Grenfell Tower fire was a "preventable accident" caused by "years of neglect" by the local council and successive governments, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has said.

    Speaking after attending a local church service in memory of the victims, he said the fire was "a national disaster that requires a national response".

    The government has sent in some of its staff to bolster the relief effort.

    Kensington Council said it would fully cooperate with the public inquiry.

    The council has been widely criticised for its handling of the disaster, with residents complaining that officials had provided little support or information.

  2. Volunteers can register herepublished at 16:15 British Summer Time 18 June 2017

    Ealing Council tweets...

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  3. Prime Minister 'was welling up' at meetingpublished at 16:07 British Summer Time 18 June 2017

    Prime Minister Theresa MayImage source, Getty Images

    Reverend Mark O'Donoghue of Christ Church Kensington was at the meeting between the Prime Minister and Grenfell Tower residents and volunteers on Saturday.

    He told Sky News: "The first meeting yesterday the Prime Minister must have spoken for about five minutes and listened for the rest of the time.

    "...the first person spoke about how he'd been rescued from the 19th floor, how he opened his door to a wall of smoke, he could see his hand. He was led out by an arm he couldn't see. And I saw the Prime Minister welling up.

    "Somebody began to sob beside her and she just held her hand for the next 20 minutes which wasn't quite the caricature that we have of the Prime Minister."

  4. Pixie Lott 'honoured' to record charity singlepublished at 15:57 British Summer Time 18 June 2017

    Pixie LottImage source, PA

    Pixie Lott was also spotted in west London to record vocals on the charity single, a cover of Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water.

    The singer, who is known for hits including Mama Do and Cry Me Out, said: "It's so important.

    "It's an honour to be involved and to come down and record today.

    "Anything that we can do to help, we should," she added.

  5. People told to stop taking 'selfies' at Grenfell sitepublished at 15:49 British Summer Time 18 June 2017

    The Metro is reporting that a resident near the Grenfell Tower block has had to ask people to stop taking selfies at the scene where 58 people died or are presumed dead.

    Lorraine Warrington, who lives on the nearby Silchester estate, told the Metro: "This is not the time or place to take selfies – in front of a tower block where my friends passed away."

    She said: "I understand people have come to pay their respects, even if they didn’t know anyone we all feel this could happen anywhere.

    "But there are some people who just keep taking photographs and filming all the time like tourists, it’s disrespectful."

  6. Firefighters help London victimspublished at 15:37 British Summer Time 18 June 2017

    They volunteered to wash people's cars to raise money for victims of the Grenfell Tower disaster.

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  7. Cladding contractor commentspublished at 15:24 British Summer Time 18 June 2017

    Members of the emergency services work on the middle floors of the Grenfell Tower blockImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Members of the emergency services work on the middle floors of the Grenfell Tower block

    A cladding believed to have been used on Grenfell Tower was not banned in the UK.

    John Cowley, managing director of CEP Architectural Facades which fabricated the rainscreen panels and windows for Grenfell Tower's cladding sub-contractor Harley Facades Ltd, said: "Reynobond PE is not banned in the UK.

    "Current building regulations allow its use in both low-rise and high-rise structures.

    "The key question now is whether the overall design of the building's complete exterior was properly tested and subsequently signed off by the relevant authorities including the fire officer, building compliance officer and architect before commencement of the project."

    The BBC has previously reported that the Department for Communities and Local Government has said such material should not be used as cladding on buildings over 18m high.

  8. Promised extra staff now spottedpublished at 15:14 British Summer Time 18 June 2017

    BBC reporter Simon Jones tweets....

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  9. Specialist fire crews remain at the scenepublished at 15:12 British Summer Time 18 June 2017

    London Fire Brigade said crews remain at the scene today, with three urban search and rescue modules on site and around 50 specialist search and rescue firefighters.

    In addition, four fire engines and about 20 firefighters are also at the site.

    London Fire Brigade sais it is continuing to monitor the stability of the tower’s structure alongside building engineers.

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  10. Hammond: Grenfell cladding was banned in UKpublished at 15:00 British Summer Time 18 June 2017

    The Chancellor says a criminal investigation will examine building regulations at Grenfell Tower.

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  11. Support list for survivorspublished at 14:53 British Summer Time 18 June 2017

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  12. Tube lines remain suspendedpublished at 14:37 British Summer Time 18 June 2017

    Grenfell TowerImage source, Getty Images

    Two Tube lines remain partly suspended on Sunday due to safety concerns with Grenfell Tower.

    Transport for London said the Hammersmith and City and Circle lines remain suspended past the the site at the request of the emergency services. The lines had been due to reopen at 14:00.

    On Twitter the official accounts for both lines say they will be closed "at least all day today".

    The spokeswoman added that the lines are suspended between Wood Lane and Edgeware. A "shuttle service" restarted this morning between Hammersmith and Wood Lane.

  13. Kensington leader 'not resigning'published at 14:35 British Summer Time 18 June 2017

    Kensington council leader Nick Paget-Brown says his resignation is 'not a matter for now'

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  14. Fire commissioner: Blaze like 'disaster movie'published at 14:32 British Summer Time 18 June 2017

    Dany Cotton

    London Fire Commissioner Dany Cotton has likened the blaze to a "disaster movie".

    In an interview with the Observer, external, she said crews did not follow normal practice, adding: "Had we just followed standard fire brigade procedures, we would not have been able to commit firefighters in and conduct the rescues we did."

    More than 250 firefighters tackled the blaze in north Kensington.

    Crews have been receiving counselling through the fire brigade.

  15. Khan: Tragedy was a preventable accidentpublished at 14:20 British Summer Time 18 June 2017

    Sadiq Khan

    Mr Khan described the disaster, the cause of which is still being investigated, as a "preventable accident that did not need to happen".

    "The tragedy we're seeing is because of the consequences of mistakes and neglect from politicians, from the council and from the Government," he said outside the church in North Kensington.

    Asked if he himself as mayor of London could have done more to help the people affected, he said, "We're doing all we can."

    "The reason why the fire spread quickly begs a number of questions about the sort of housing these people were made to live in," he went on.

    "It's quite clear to anybody that it's a national disaster that requires a national response from the Government. I'm doing my bit, I'm offering my services to the new chief executives who are taking over the co-ordination. I'm pleased the British Red Cross has come in."

  16. Applause for the fire crews leaving Grenfell sitepublished at 14:09 British Summer Time 18 June 2017

    LBC reporter Vincent McAviney captures the moment

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  17. Sadiq Khan: North Kensington is resilientpublished at 14:01 British Summer Time 18 June 2017

    London Mayor Sadiq Khan said after attending a church service that it was a "humbling" experience.

    He said: I've heard stories of heroism, from Christians, from Muslims and from others, looking after their brothers and sisters, their neighbours and doing the job that we expect from this brilliant community because of the fantastic community that is here in this part of London."

    "North Kensington is resilient," he said.

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  18. Paget-Brown: Too much for one borough to cope withpublished at 13:54 British Summer Time 18 June 2017

    The World This Weekend
    Radio 4 programme

    Volunteers distribute aid near Grenfell Tower in West LondonImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Volunteers distribute aid near Grenfell Tower in West London

    Nick Paget-Brown said it was "not accurate" to say the borough of Ealing had effectively taken over the emergency operation because Kensington and Chelsea could not cope.

    The magnitude of the disaster was such that one borough alone could not manage every aspect, he argued. "London has come together," he said.

    "I accept that in the early days the support has not been as coordinated as people would want," he told the BBC's The World This Weekend.

    "But that is because you do need expertise on a number of different fronts. You need sensitive people with an understanding of the particular needs of this traumatised community. We don't have all of those resources in our borough. That's why we needed help from other boroughs."

  19. DLGC confirms cladding restrictionpublished at 13:46 British Summer Time 18 June 2017

    The burned shell of the Grenfell Tower block in West LondonImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    The burned shell of the Grenfell Tower block in West London

    The Department for Communities and Local Government has clarified that cladding using a composite aluminium panel with a polyethylene core is banned under the current Building Regulations guidance.

    The material should not be used as fire safety cladding on buildings over 18m in height.

    However, the department has said it is not able to comment on what type of cladding was used on Grenfell Tower building and that this would be subject to investigations.

  20. Survivors 'being moved around'published at 13:42 British Summer Time 18 June 2017

    People comfort each other outside Notting hill Methodist ChurchImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    People comfort each other outside Notting hill Methodist Church

    Kensington MP Emma Dent Coad has told BBC One's Sunday Politics that people who have lost their homes in the Grenfell Tower fire are repeatedly not being settled.

    She said: "We are still hearing stories of people not being allocated properly.

    "There's one woman this morning and her child, they have been moved three times since Wednesday into different accommodation. That's absolutely appalling."