British Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday ordered a full public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire that claimed the lives of 17 people so far. The police said the death toll is likely to rise and it would be a "miracle" if any more survivors were found during the search operation.
A massive fire engulfed the Grenfell Towers in London early on Wednesday killing at least 17 people and injuring several others, with some in critical condition.
May on Thursday said a public inquiry was necessary to make sure "this terrible tragedy is properly investigated," the Guardian quoted the prime minister as saying. May was seen at the scene talking to senior officials from the emergency services and said that she was overwhelmed by the bravery shown by the firefighters. She was also criticised for not meeting the residents who survived the Grenfell Tower blaze on Wednesday.
May added that the community around the Grenfell Tower were right to demand answers which is why she has ordered a public inquiry into the incident.
"Right now people want answers and its absolutely right. That's why I am today ordering a full public inquiry into this disaster. We need to know what happened. We need to have an explanation of this we owe that to the families, to the people who have lost loved ones, friends and the homes in which they lived," May said in a statement.
She added: "What we need to do is ensure that this terrible tragedy is properly investigated. That's why I'm ordering a full public inquiry so we can get to the answers... When I visited the scene, when I spoke to the emergency services, they told me that the way this fire progressed was rapid, it was ferocious and it was unexpected. So it is right that we do have a full public inquiry to get to the bottom of this."
May also said that "the government will make every effort to ensure that they are rehoused in London and as close as possible to home."
