´óÏó´«Ã½

Good morning

A year ago today a fire tore through Grenfell Tower. It’s a few miles from where I live in London, and I can still remember the smell which hung in the air the early hours of that Ramadan morning.

The inferno was to take the lives of 72 people, and injure many more. There has been enormous anger surrounding the fire and an enquiry is currently taking place.
As that inquiry runs its course the litany of problems with the tower becomes clear. So much has been written about the situation in and around this 1970s tower block– the cladding, the lack of a sprinkler system, the stay put policy, the single staircase, amongst other contributing factors. According to a lawyer for the survivors, it was the refurbishment which turned the high-rise block into such a fire risk and it’s been pointed out that safety concerns had been raised by residents for months and months. Some had apparently been threatened with legal action because of their campaign.

The tower, like so many in London, was a mainly working class housing complex, surrounded however by affluent neighbourhoods. Stark contrasts were easy to see. And it’s hard to not ask questions as to why and how this horror, which so many say was almost inevitable, could have happened in 21st century Britain. In addition, there’s no doubt this disaster disproportionately affected ethnic minority communities, and lawyers have asked the inquiry to assess the impact of this issue.

Our Merciful Lord, accept the souls of those who lost their lives in Grenfell Tower, and cover them in your Divine Mercy. Help us learn the lessons of this tragedy, and help us ensure that inequality does not lead to calamity. Ameen.