NATIONAL: Death toll rises to 17 after Grenfell Tower blaze
At least 17 people have died in the Grenfell Tower fire, although the death toll is still expected to rise, emergency services have said.
Specialist urban search and rescue teams are being brought in to make the 24-storey tower block safe in north Kensington to allow firefighters and the police to carry out investigations, following the devastating blaze that started in the early hours of Wednesday.
Search dogs will also be used to help locate the missing in the wreckage.
Commander Stuart Cundy, of the Metropolitan Police, said: ‘Sadly I can confirm that the number of people who have died is now 17.
‘We do believe that that number will sadly increase.’
Detective Chief Inspector Matt Bonner has been appointed to lead the investigation, he added.
London Fire Commissioner Dany Cotton said: ‘This will be a detailed fingertip search.
‘Obviously this will be a very slow and painstaking process.’