Fire safety checks in council high rises will be stepped up after a devastating fire claimed the lives of at least six people in the early hours of this morning.
The blaze at Grenfell Tower block, west London, also injured 74 people, prompting concerns over safety in multi-storey buildings.
A spokesman for Barking and Dagenham Council said they would be taking extra precautions with their ten tower blocks of eight storeys and above.
“We appreciate that many residents living in high rise blocks will be concerned and want to provide some reassurance that every housing block has a regular fire risk assessment and these are all up to date, with one due this month.
“While the fire risk assessment for each block is usually reviewed annually, we will be revisiting any conducted more than three months ago as an extra precautionary measure to reassure residents.”
He added: “Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the fire at Grenfell House, including the emergency services currently trying to control the situation.”
It is unknown how many remain unaccounted for from the building, which contained 120 flats and housed up to 600 people. The Grenfell Action Group claimed the block constituted a fire risk, both before and after it underwent a £8.6m refurbishment last year. The block, which was built in 1974, did not have a sprinkler system.
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