The Phase 1 report on the public inquiry of the 2017 London Grenfell Tower fire was published in the UK on Thursday. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Members of Parliament marked the publication in the House of Commons.

Combustible materials used to refurbish the tower were crucial to the catastrophic chain of the tragedy that turned an ordinary kitchen fire into an inferno that killed 71 people, inquiry chairman Martin Moore-Bick reported. He said there was compelling evidence the cladding did not comply with regulations.

Many buildings across Britain are still covered with cladding similar to that used at Grenfell. 

The report also revealed grave failings by the London Fire Brigade during the blaze. Moore-Bick decried a number of institutional failings among fire brigade chiefs, saying preparations and training were gravely inadequate and that serious mistakes were made on the night. 

Matt Wrack, head of the Fire Brigades Union, claimed that the fire was a result of multiple long-term failings by successive governments. 

Critics have accused the local authority of neglecting the tower because of indifference toward its low-income, immigrant residents. Moore-Bick pointed out that there was a strong feeling among the local community that their voices were ignored and that if attention had been paid to them the disaster could have been avoided.  

(Photo: Agencies)

Whether British hospitals are prepared for such high casualty incidents has also been called into question. 

According to a report from the Emergency Medical Journal in August 2019, more than half of key hospital doctors in England who would likely be involved in responding to major emergency incidents, such as a bombing or massive fire, are ill prepared for it due to unfamiliarity with the strategic, tactical, and operational management system required. The survey has found that the doctors are less prepared than peers were in 2006.

(Compiled by Bai Shenhao)