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Death Toll Continues To Rise After Grenfell Tower Fire

Madison Medeiros, Natalie Gil
Last Updated 16 June 2017, 6:00
Update, 12.15 pm 16 June: The death toll has risen further to 30 and the police have said they "do not expect there to be any survivors" left in the building, The Guardian reports. Met Police Commander Stuart Cundy said the bodies have been taken to a morgue and that more will remain inside the tower.
Update, 7.00 am 16 June: As emergency services are set to spend a third day searching for bodies in the burnt-out Grenfell Tower, police have warned they may never be able to identify all the victims who died in the fire, reports the BBC. With dozens of people still missing, including entire families, police have said they do not expect to find more survivors.
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Update, 16.15 pm 15 June: Prime minister Theresa May has said there will be a public inquiry into the blaze as the confirmed death toll rises to 17, reports The Guardian. With many still unaccounted for and a full search of the building unable to take place until it is made structurally safe, anger and frustration is growing among the public. One expert has suggested that identifying all the victims would "likely take months".
Meanwhile, concerns have been raised that materials used in a recent refurbishment of the tower block may have contributed to the rapid spread of the fire. The plastic exterior cladding, which was added in 2015, was used on buildings around the world that have also been hit by fire, according to the BBC.
Update, 17:15 pm 14 June: The death toll has risen to 12 and "will rise further", according to police. Commander Stuart Cundy also said: "Sadly, I don’t anticipate there will be further survivors," adding that several people were still missing but he didn't give a specific number, the BBC reported.
In all, the London Fire Brigade evacuated 65 people from the tower and many more got out themselves, it has also been confirmed.
Update, 15:00 pm 14 June: Londoners, celebrities and businesses are coming together to offer food, water, shelter, clothes and support to the victims. Drop-off points have sprung up for people to donate items, including the Westaway Sports Centre on Crowthorne Road and St. John's Church on Landsdowne Crescent in Notting Hill. London restaurants including Tredwells, The Gilbert Scott and Marcus Belgravia are also taking items. Crowdfunding pages have been created, too, although their legitimacy has yet to be confirmed, and London's Evening Standard newspaper has set up an emergency fund.
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People are also booking hotel rooms for the victims to stay the night; and celebrities have stepped up to the plate, with Lily Allen offering beds and tea in her nearby home and Jamie Oliver offering food and drink to at his Jamie's Italian restaurant in Westfield.
Update, 11:45 am 14 June: Six people have been confirmed dead and that number is expected to rise, reported the BBC. London Mayor Sadiq Khan said that while firefighters rescued a large number of people, "a lot" of people remained inside the building.
Update, 10:15 am 14 June: Several people are reported to have died and more than 50 people are in hospital, the BBC reported. The fire is ongoing and it is feared the building may collapse.
It has emerged that residents warned last year that the tower was a fire risk. The Grenfell Action Group wrote of their concern about the block's lack of healthy and safety measures. The blogpost highlighted the landlord's "failure to deal with a serious health and safety issue that recently developed at the entrance/exit to Grenfell Tower".
It continued: "This matter is of particular concern as there is only one entry and exit to Grenfell Tower during the Improvement Works and the potential for a fire to break out in the communal area on the walkway does not bear thinking about as residents would be trapped in the building with no way out!"
Original story: A 24-story London apartment building went up in flames at 1:16 a.m. on Wednesday morning, according to BBC News.
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BBC News reports that approximately 40 fire engines and 200 firefighters arrived at the Grenfell Tower on the Lancaster West Estate to combat the enormous fire, which has raged throughout the night, and eyewitnesses say has trapped the building's occupants.
NBC News also reports that Grenfell Tower had recently undergone a total remodel.
One witness tweeted: "People r screaming for help & I saw a lady jump out! God be with innocent souls stuck there. View from my window."
The horrifying footage appears to show the 120-unit building crumbling, with flames shooting from all angles.
Another Twitter user tweeted: "Fire consuming Grenfell Tower. People screaming for their lives. Horrible."
Yet another witness wrote: "People are flashing SOS symbols from their windows. I'm crying so much."
According to NBC News, the London Metropolitan Police stated that while no casualties have yet been confirmed, two people received medical attention for smoke inhalation and a number of others are being treated for injuries.
Business Insider Senior Editor Josh Barro reposted a link to a collection of blog posts claiming that Grenfell Tower had been "a flagrant fire hazard."
"A years-long series of blog posts contending the apartment tower engulfed in flames in London tonight was a flagrant fire hazard," Barro tweeted.
It's important to note authorities do not yet know what caused the massive fire.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.

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