RantCrush Top 5: June 16, 2017

London police announced that they have opened a criminal investigation into the devastating fire at a London high-rise, which claimed at least 30 lives. Grenfell Tower residents had expressed concerns repeatedly over the fire safety of the building, without any response from the management. Survivors have said they were worried because the building only had one escape route. There was no coordinated fire alarm system or sprinkler system. There were also concerns about the building’s construction and whether a certain material used on the outside of the walls could have had something to do with the rapidly spreading fire.

Crews have been working at the scene of the #Grenfelltower fire through the night & will remain there today. https://t.co/WVA0PBWlRS pic.twitter.com/nwPdfPFAXd

— London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) June 15, 2017

“It is a truly terrifying thought but the Grenfell Action Group firmly believe that only a catastrophic event will expose the ineptitude and incompetence of our landlord, the KCTMO,” the Grenfell Action Group warned last November after a review of the building. The 24-story building was completely ruined in the fire and the search for deceased victims is still ongoing. The death toll is expected to rise even more and a lot of victims may never be identified.

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.