The Grenfell fire as a symbol of social inequity in the UK

When a fire ripped through a residential tower block in London this year, people all over the world watched as harrowing scenes of distraught families losing relatives and loved ones unfolded.

The blaze in June which killed 71 people was seen by many as a symbol of social inequality in the United Kingdom. 

TRTWorld's Sarah Morice was at the scene as the building was burning.

Interim report

A review launched after London's deadly Grenfell Tower fire called on Monday for an overhaul of building regulations, warning that the current system and culture allowed for cost-cutting at the expense of safety.

The interim report did not attribute blame for the blaze, but said the rules for ensuring fire safety in such high-rise buildings made it too easy to "cut corners."

"The mindset of doing things as cheaply as possible and passing on responsibility for problems and shortcomings to others must stop," wrote author Judith Hackitt, a former health and safety executive.

She said she had been "shocked" at some things she had discovered, concluding, "The current regulatory system for ensuring fire safety in high-rise and complex buildings is not fit for purpose."

A public inquiry is under way into the causes of the Grenfell fire, with questions focused on whether a refurbishment, including the fitting of external cladding, may have fuelled the blaze.

The fire started in the early hours of June 14 with a faulty refrigerator on the fourth floor of the local authority-owned building, but rapidly spread up the exterior of the 24-storey tower.

In the wake of the tragedy, hundreds of similar buildings across Britain were subjected to safety checks, and some residents were evacuated as a precaution.