Grenfell Tower fire: Inquiry blames deaths on incompetence, greed

A public inquiry into the devastating 2017 London Grenfell Tower blaze that killed 72 people blamed the disaster on failings by the government, the construction industry and, most of all, the firms involved in fitting the exterior with flammable cladding.

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The fire ripped through the 23-storey social housing block in one of London's richest areas during the early hours of June 14, 2017.

It was Britain's deadliest blaze in a residential building since World War II.

"The simple truth is that the deaths that occurred were all avoidable," inquiry chairman Martin Moore-Bick said.

In its long-awaited final report published on Sept 4, the inquiry laid most responsibility for the disaster on the companies involved in the maintenance and refit of the apartment tower, as well as companies that it said had dishonestly marketed combustible cladding materials as safe.

It also criticised the then government, the local authority of Kensington and Chelsea, the industry, regulatory groups, specific individuals and an ill-prepared fire brigade for years of inaction over fire safety in high-rise blocks.

"Not all of them bear the same degree of responsibility for the eventual disaster, but as our reports show, all contributed to it in one way or another, in most cases, through incompetence, but in some cases, through dishonesty and greed," Mr Moore-Bick said.