5 London towers being evacuated to prevent Grenfell-like fire

Residents of five towers in London have been told to evacuate their apartments over safety fears, as the British capital still mourns the deadly Grenfell Tower inferno that killed at least 79 people last week.

According to Press TV, Camden Council said Friday that it was going to remove people from 800 households in the Chalcots Estate and take them to a rest center until the current cladding on the building was replaced with fire retardant material.

The decision came after a report found that the cladding material used on the tower was similar to that of the Grenfell.

"Together we decided that the Taplow block needs to be temporarily decanted while we undertake urgent fire safety works so that residents can be fully assured of their safety," Council chief Georgia Gould said.

"The Grenfell fire changes everything – we need to do everything we can to keep residents safe," she added, noting that the process might take three to four weeks.

UK Police completed their investigation into the recent deadly block fire in London on Friday and said they will press “manslaughter” charges against the main culprits for using banned material on the 24-story building.

Detective Superintendent Fiona McCormack, who led the probe, said although the fire was initially caused by a faulty fridge, it was the insulation and cladding tiles that had spread the blaze.

The investigation found that the aluminum composite tiles used in the cladding and the insulation behind them had failed safety tests and helped the fire grow, she added.

“Preliminary tests show the insulation samples collected from Grenfell Tower combusted soon after the tests started. The initial test on the cladding tiles also failed the safety tests,” McCormack noted.

ME