Firefighters Search for Survivors in London Building Fire

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Theresa May has ordered a full public inquiry into the high-rise apartment blaze that killed at least 17 people in London amid growing public anxiety about whether similar blazes could occur in other housing blocks around the country. May moved quickly to establish exactly what caused the fire — and why it moved so quickly, engulfing the building that housed as many as 600 people in less than an hour. Fire safety engineers were stunned at the pace in which flames tore through the 120-apartment Grenfell Tower early Wednesday when most people were asleep. Senior fire officials described the progression of the fire as unprecedented. "We need to know what happened," a resolute May said. "We need to know an explanation. We owe that to the families, to the people who have lost loved ones and the homes in which they lived." London firefighters, many traumatized by the devastation, worked Thursday to make the building safe so they could continue searching for more victims. Entire families are still missing, and the death toll is certain to rise. The apartment tower is so huge there is still no exact count of the missing. In addition, 74 people were injured in the blaze, with 37 hospitalized and 17 of them still in critical condition. Fire Commissioner Dany Cotton said it would be a "miracle" if anyone else were to be found alive. It is unsafe for firefighters to go into parts of the 24-story tower, so the fire de...
Source: JEMS: Journal of Emergency Medical Services News - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Major Incidents News Source Type: news