LONDON — Three days after the high-rise tower blaze here that killed at least 17 people, police warned Friday that some of the victims may never be identified while British media reported that the number of dead could surpass 100.
Firefighters are still searching for victims in the 24-story Grenfell Tower that went up in flames early Wednesday. Six victims have been identified and 11 others have been located, but with dozens of people still apparently unaccounted for speculation has increased that the number of dead could rise.
"From a personal perspective, I really hope it isn’t," Metropolitan Police commander Stuart Cundy said responding to speculation reported in The Telegraph and other media outlets that the number of dead could exceed 100.
Investigators fear that the bodies of many more victims could still be on the building's upper floors, areas firefighters have struggled to reach.
Cundy said that because the fire was so powerful there was "a risk that sadly we may not be able to identify everybody."
Meanwhile, families searching for information about their loved ones have blanketed the area near the tower with posters searching for answers. And sorrow is quickly turning to anger over whether the building met fire and safety regulations.
Residents said they had been complaining for years about lax standards while aspects of a recent $13 million refurbishment to the building have fallen under suspicion of allowing the fire to spread more rapidly than expected.
Prime Minister Theresa May ordered a public inquiry into the incident that will establish what happened and who is to blame, although it won't lead to criminal prosecutions. Scotland Yard has opened a separate criminal investigation.
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