Fire Outbreak in Grenfell Tower, London

UPDATE: 6:45 a.m. EDT, Wednesday — At least six people died and 50 people were injured in the fire that erupted at the Grenfell Tower in White City, London at 1:15 am local time (8:15 p.m. EDT Tuesday), according to authorities. 

However, the number of casualties is expected to rise as firefighters continue to scan the building for people who could still be trapped inside. “This figure is likely to rise during what will be a complex recovery operation over a number of days," said Metropolitan Police Commander Stuart Cundy. "Many others are receiving medical care. It is likely to take some time before we are in a position to confirm the identity of the victims."

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan refrained from releasing an exact count of the people injured in the fire, stating they had to be sure about the number due to it being “sensitive” news. With many still unaccounted for and possibly trapped inside the building, Khan said that the main focus was to rescue them first. 

"At this stage, our focus has to be search and rescue," he said, CNN reported, "but there are very legitimate questions people are asking. I’ll do my best to make sure we get an answer to these questions because they are legitimate questions we all have."

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of the London Fire Brigade, Dany Cotton admitted "we have absolutely no idea" regarding the number of people who still remain to be rescued from the building that had been ablaze for over nine hours.

It was also pointed out on social media, the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Operation (KCTMO), which manages Grenfell Tower, issued a newsletter for residents of the block in May 2016 with a "stay put" policy in the case of a fire. The controversial policy is said to be one of the root causes for the deaths that occurred when Lakanal House in Camberwell went up in flames in July 2009. 

"The smoke detection systems have been upgraded and extended," it said. "The Fire Brigade has asked us to reinforce the message that, if there is a fire which is not inside your own home, you are generally safest to stay put in your home to begin with; the Fire Brigade will arrive very quickly if a fire is reported. The only reason you should leave your home is if the fire is inside your home."

KCTMO meanwhile expressed grief and regret over the loss of life that occurred in the tower under their management.

UPDATE: 5:33 a.m. EDT, Wednesday —  Although London mayor Sadiq Khan sent out a stream of tweets ever since the Grenfell Tower in White City, London, went up in flames, this is the first time he has released an official statement.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson also tweeted, expressing his thoughts and prayers on the “horrific tower block fire in London.”

Firefighters are still "working tirelessly to extinguish the fire and search for any people remaining inside," London Fire Brigade Commissioner Dany Cotton told reporters, CNN reported.

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