Inquiry Blames 2017 Grenfell Tower Blaz on 'Decades of Failure'

The public inquiry into the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire that claimed 72 lives attributes the disaster to failings by the government, construction industry, and particularly the firms that fitted the tower with flammable cladding. The report reveals systematic dishonesty and a priority on profits over safety.

A public inquiry into the catastrophic 2017 Grenfell Tower blaze, which tragically killed 72 people, has placed blame on governmental failures, the construction industry, and most notably, the companies that installed the flammable cladding. The devastating fire ravaged the 23-storey social housing block in London's affluent area on June 14, 2017. This was the UK's deadliest residential blaze since WWII.

Inquiry chair Martin Moore-Bick stated, "The simple truth is that the deaths that occurred were all avoidable." The final report, running nearly 1,700 pages, primarily held the companies responsible for the tower's maintenance and refit accountable. Failings by local and national authorities and dishonest marketing of combustible cladding materials were also highlighted.

The report criticized multiple entities, including the then-government, the local authority of Kensington and Chelsea, the regulatory bodies, and an underprepared fire brigade, attributing inaction and incompetence over fire safety in high-rise buildings. Moore-Bick noted that while not all bear equal responsibility, each contributed to the disaster through incompetence, dishonesty, or greed.