Early Wednesday morning, an apartment building in west London caught fire, killing at least 12 people and injuring more than 70 others, The Guardian reported. The building’s 120 homes were all destroyed.
Local authorities expect the number of fatalities to rise after what Metropolitan Police Commander Stuart Cundy called a “truly shocking” tragedy at Grenfell Tower.
Raging fire in Grenfell Tower near Latimer Road. Whole block of 24 floors up in flames. People still trapped inside. Horrendous. pic.twitter.com/J7UO321yIP
— Tim Downie (@TimDownie1) June 14, 2017
BREAKING: Death toll in #grenfellfire rises to 12
— Oliver Duggan (@OliDuggan) June 14, 2017
“This is a completely unprecedented fire,” said Dany Cotton, London Fire Brigade Commissioner, according to CNN.
READ: Baby Dropped From 9th Floor of Burning London Tower Miraculously Caught
In the wake of the event, local residents and churches rushed to coordinate aid for the individuals and families displaced by the massive fire.
St. Clement’s Church, Notting Hill Methodist Church, and others have become places of refuge for victims.
Pastor Derek Wilson of Tabernacle Christian Centre told Christian Today that members of his church and other churches are uniting in their efforts, which include distributing food and water.
“I have just been speaking to some of the residents that were made homeless,” Wilson said. “The community has come together and everyone is just helping out at the moment. There’s food coming from everywhere. Everyone is doing what they can do to help out, especially those who escaped with [just] the clothes on their back … Churches are coming together. Members from my church are coming down to help out with the distribution of food and water – people are in a state of shock.”
Residents have claimed that the devastating blaze was a disaster waiting to happen. Many voiced their concerns months before Wednesday’s fire, CNN reported.
#GrenfellTower fire: Former residents' association chair says multiple complaints about fire safety were ignored https://t.co/mychQeJ1OF pic.twitter.com/4ZDSZlJZA3
— CNN (@CNN) June 14, 2017
Others complained that they were given poor safety instructions Wednesday morning. Pastor Wilson told Christian Today that “there is a lot of despair and anger” among survivors who believe they were let down by the people in charge of protecting them.
“Some of the residents were telling me that the police were telling them to go back into the homes and just put blankets and towels at the bottom of the door – some did and didn’t come back out,” Wilson said. “I don’t know where that order came from. So there are a lot of angry residents at this time because they can’t find their friends and loved ones.”
As of early Wednesday afternoon, teams of firefighters were still working to tame the blaze at Grenfell Tower.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby tweeted a message thanking local emergency responders for their quick action.
Here are the details for support for #GrenfellTower. We give grateful, admiring thanks for @LondonFire Brigade and other emergency services. https://t.co/zKCfVdII5h
— Justin Welby ن (@JustinWelby) June 14, 2017
Guardian reporter Alexandra Topping documented the “incredible community response” to Wednesday’s fire.
Firefighters still blasting #GrenfellFire with water pic.twitter.com/CsN0G4G5Nf
— Alexandra Topping (@LexyTopping) June 14, 2017
Notting Hill Methodist Church has turned into a bedding centre. #GrenfellFire pic.twitter.com/BN8jJqKwfg
— Alexandra Topping (@LexyTopping) June 14, 2017
Huge organisation of vast amount of donated clothes at The Methodist Church on Lancaster Rd. Incredible community response #GlenfellFire pic.twitter.com/UBGRIOXjV7
— Alexandra Topping (@LexyTopping) June 14, 2017
As many continue to seek answers to what may have been a preventable tragedy, the tremendous efforts to bring refuge, comfort, and healing to victims are making a big difference.
Please pray for the Grenfell Tower fire victims. For information about how you can help, click here.