The U.K. Government is under heavy criticism following the Grenfell Tower fire in London. In response to the pressure, Prime Minister Theresa May has ordered a detailed investigation. Unsurprisingly, the lethal fire has caused everyone in the area to grow concerned about safety procedures and construction materials used in other apartment buildings in the area.

The death toll

The death toll following the London apartment fire has risen to 17. Officials still expect this number to climb as there are still people missing and they do not expect to find any more survivors.

Furthermore, there are also ten people who are still in the hospital in critical condition.

Investigating other high-rise apartments

Officials have been investigating the other large apartment buildings in the area as well as combing through what is left behind of the apartment building which caught fire. Search dogs are also being used to help search for residents. Officials hope the death toll does not reach triple figures, but some believe it could be possible.

Could this have been prevented?

The reason why the U.K. government has come under fire is because many question whether or not this tragedy had to happen. Would more of the residents have made it out if it wasn’t for the “stay put” protocol?

Basically, the “stay put” protocol encourages residents to stay where they are until help arrives. Did the exterior cladding play a role in how quickly the fire spread? Should a sprinkler and alarm system have been installed in the building, given how old it was?

According to residents, it was an exploding appliance that caused the fire.

The cause of the fire, however, has not yet be confirmed by officials as of yet. Critics are urging the U.K. government to review the fire and safety regulations to ensure that this tragedy doesn’t happen again. The government is also under fire to inspect and upgrade all older buildings in the area to ensure they are safe against a quick spreading fire.

Given lack of working fire alarms, many of the residents only learned about the fire by word-of-mouth – or when it was too late to escape. Witnesses from the ground recall watching as children were thrown from windows on various floors. Terrified parents hoped to save their children from the fire, or at least save them from burning to death.

The question remains – should the U.K. government and owners of the apartment building be blamed? Could this tragedy have been prevented?