Grim search for inferno victims

FIREFIGHTERS spray water after a fire engulfed Grenfell Tower

THE death toll from the devastating tower block fire in west London is expected to rise as investigators trawl through the wreckage in the search for other victims.

At least 12 people have died after the huge fire destroyed Grenfell Tower in north Kensington, where flames could still be seen a day on from the disaster.

More than £1 million has been raised to help those affected as fire tore through the 24-storey building while volunteers and charities helped feed and shelter people who could not return to their homes overnight.

A wall of condolence was put up near the scene with dozens of messages left for loved ones.

Prime Minister Theresa May promised a "proper investigation" after the building went up in flames early on Wednesday amid growing concerns about why the fire spread so fast.

Mrs May said: "When it's possible to identify the cause of this fire, of course there will be proper investigation and if there are any lessons to be learnt they will be, and action will be taken."

Residents' groups have claimed they voiced fears about the safety of the building, which had been recently refurbished, while those who escaped said fire alarms had not been set off by the blaze.

One focus for the inquiry will be the building's cladding, which TV architect George Clarke said may have accelerated the blaze.

Mr Clarke, who lives locally and appears on Channel 4's Amazing Spaces, said: "I saw those cladding panels, the cladding on the outside and the insulation was just peeling off, like you'd peel a banana.

"To me that looks like a fantastic chimney for the fire to rage around."

Grenfell Tower, built in 1974, was recently refurbished at a cost of £8.6 million. It had 120 flats and between 400 and 600 people.

Kensington and Chelsea Council admitted it had received complaints over the works, after a residents' action group said its warnings about safety had fallen on "deaf ears".

A blog post from Grenfell Action Group in November said "only a catastrophic event" would expose the concerns residents had.

The group said there was one entry and exit to the tower during improvement works leading to fears about evacuation.

Concerns had also been raised about exposed gas pipes weeks before the fire.

Rydon, the firm that did the refurbishment work, said the project "met all required building regulations", in its latest statement following the fire.

But a line stating that the project had met all "fire regulation and health and safety standards", included in an earlier release, had disappeared.

Meanwhile, work goes on to tackle " pockets of fire" in the block, with several residents reporting that one man had said it started in his faulty fridge.

Many people are still unaccounted for. Commander Stuart Cundy of the Metropolitan Police said: "This is going to be a long and complex recovery operation and I do anticipate that the number of fatalities will sadly increase beyond those 12."

London Fire Brigade rescued 65 people. NHS England said 74 patients were treated in hospitals with 34 still in hospital including 18 in critical care.