Insurers warned of fire risk before Grenfell Tower tragedy

This article is more than 12 months old

Jun 27, 2017 06:00 am

LONDON: The insurance industry warned the British government of the dangers of flammable external surfaces on buildings a month before the Grenfell Tower fire that killed at least 79 people.

The Association of British Insurers said in a statement on Sunday it had been calling on the government to review building fire-safety regulations since 2009 and warned last month that combustible external cladding on high-rises could cause fire to spread.

FAILED SAFETY TESTS

The British government said on Sunday that 60 high-rise buildings had failed safety tests carried out since fire ravaged the Grenfell Tower block on June 14.

Last Friday some 4,000 residents were forced to evacuate their homes in north London after the fire brigade ruled that their blocks were unsafe. - REUTERS