72 LIVES

In the days after the fire, survivors faced chaos, confusion and a desperate search for family and friends.

Hisam Choucair, who lost six relatives in the fire, visited 11 hospitals with his brother.

“I know I shouldn’t have done this but I snuck into the intensive care unit [at St Thomas’ hospital]... I searched the whole ward… I had to open curtains. It was wrong but I felt like it was the right thing to do… I am sorry for whoever’s privacy I invaded but it was through desperation,” he told the Grenfell Inquiry.

Some of the victims’ deaths were not confirmed until months later, with experts verifying identity through DNA and dental records. The final death toll from the fire is 72 people. The youngest victim, Logan Gomes, was stillborn in hospital the morning after the fire. Maria Del Pilar Burton, 74, was rescued from the blaze but died in hospital in January 2018.

Many of the men, women and children who escaped Grenfell fled with nothing but the pyjamas they were wearing. Some left without shoes.

They were sheltered in emergency ‘rest centres’ - but the authorities struggled to cope with even the most basic needs.

Charity boss Mark Simms, who helped victims on the morning of the fire, said residents were "left to God and good neighbours" after council blunders. Local people, charity workers and other official bodies, including nearby councils, stepped in to help victims and people looking for loved ones.

Survivors were eventually rehoused - but some of the accommodation was poor. Hanan Wahabi told the inquiry she was forced to live in a one-bedroom hotel room with her husband and two children for 18 months after they escaped the fire, which killed five of their relatives. She also said they were not given Halal food and had to eat meals with holidaymakers. 

Emma Louise O’Connor is desperate to move to a new home after four years of living in a flat close to three fire stations, where the constant sound of sirens triggers her PTSD.

There was no doubt that there would be a public inquiry. Chaired by retired judge Sir Martin Moore-Bick, it began in May 2018 and is structured in two phases. Phase 1 - which has already been published - looks at the facts of the events on the night itself, while Phase 2 of the Inquiry examines the causes of the fire in more depth. It has cost £150m so far and is due to conclude at the end of the year.

There have already been damning findings.

Warning signs were repeatedly ignored. Safety regulations were slashed back by ministers. London Fire Brigade leadership was inadequate.

Over a number of tense sessions, the actions and culpability of the cladding firms was brought into sharp focus.

Arconic test results repeatedly showed just how flammable its aluminium-based cladding really was, years before the fire broke out. It kept selling the product.

Kingspan had tested the new version of its insulation in 2007, resulting in a "raging inferno" with the insulation "burning on its own steam". The test was kept secret.

Most impactful was the testimony of survivors. Farhad Neda, who lost his father in the fire, told the inquiry: “I can still hear the sounds of people desperately struggling to breathe.”

Phase 2 continues - though it is paused on the fifth anniversary as a mark of respect for the victims. Any charges or criminal proceedings will only begin after the inquiry has finished. Justice is still some way off for the fire's many victims.

The ruins of Grenfell Tower still stand and since the night of the fire, many have feared it will collapse.
Many families live in its shadow and in September 2021, the government was told the structure posed a threat to nearby buildings, including the Kensington Aldridge Academy School.

Structural engineering experts hired by the government "unambiguously and unanimously" agreed that the structure should be "carefully taken down". But an expert commissioned by residents argued it wasn't definitive that the tower was unstable.

Much has been done to support the building and to prevent it being an immediate threat, demolition expert Howard Button said. But he added: "Every day it's deteriorating. To retain the building would require major structural work, even if that was possible, to make it even slightly habitable. I think demolition is probably the only answer because it’s too far gone to actually save."

Trust in the community is low. One survivor told MyLondon there would be an "uprising" if officials decided to tear down the tower. David O’Connell, vice chair of the local Lancaster West Residents Association, said: "While that tower’s there people find it very hard to forget what happened. That matters a lot to a lot of people because that tower can be seen across London. It's quite important people don't forget and just sweep it under the carpet."

A few plans for the future of Grenfell Tower have been put forward over the past five years. Marcio Gomes, 41, lost his stillborn son, Logan, in the fire. In June last year, he said he wanted to turn the ruins of Grenfell into a huge high-rise garden.

The Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission - formed by community representatives, experts and officials - proposed putting a memorial garden on the site, possibly with a water feature and an area for children. A decision is likely to be made in 2023.

For now the tower remains, topped with the Grenfell green heart, a symbol of love, endurance and memorial. Seventy two people died that night. None of them will be forgotten.

^{This story was produced by MyLondon. Find us atmylondon.news}