PM orders public inquiry into Grenfell Tower disaster as death toll rises

The Prime Minister has ordered a full public inquiry into the fire at Grenfell Tower in London, which has seen 30 people confirmed to have died and dozens more reported missing.

“Right now people want answers,” Theresa May said. “We need to know what happened, we need to have an explanation of this. We owe that to the families, to the people who have lost loved ones, friends and the homes in which they lived.”

The inquiry is expected to be led by a judge.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said the full scale of the tragedy was becoming clear and there were pressing questions, “which demand urgent answers”.

He added: “In light of concerns about the safety of other tower blocks that have been similarly refurbished the inquiry needs to produce an interim report by the end of this summer at the latest.”

A lawyer who acted for some of the victims of the Lakanal House fire in 2009, Sophie Khan, has meanwhile called for an inquest rather a public inquiry. "In an inquest [the Government] would lose control over what a jury verdict will do," she told the BBC's Newsnight.

In a statement issued today the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea said it was helping those affected and in need of emergency accommodation, and was also giving financial assistance to cover their immediate needs.

"All residents of Grenfell Tower who have requested help have been placed in hotels.We are now looking to source interim accommodation for those Grenfell Tower residents and also trying to assist, where possible, elderly and vulnerable residents from surrounding areas who have been unable to return to their homes due to the safety cordon," it said.

The council added: "While we will try do our upmost to ensure those affected remain in or near the borough, given the number of households involved, it is possible the Council will have to explore housing options that may become available in other parts of the capital."

The local authority said: "We have heard a number of theories about the cause of the fire at Grenfell Tower.  All of these will be thoroughly investigated as part of the formal investigation which has already begun."