PREVENTABLE

Banned Cladding Suspected in London Fire

As criminal investigation gets underway.

Materials used in the 24-story London high-rise that caught ablaze last Wednesday are thought to be banned in Britain, two British ministers said. At least 58 people were killed in the inferno, and scores others are missing. “My understanding is that the cladding that was reported wasn’t in accordance with U.K. building regulations,” Trade Minister Greg Hands told Sky News on Sunday. Treasury chief Philip Hammond echoed Hands, telling the BBC that "this flammable cladding which is banned in Europe and the US, is also banned here.” The comments are likely to further anger members of the public, many of whom have accused local authorities of causing the fire by trying to save money on refurbishment costs. Experts have said the exterior cladding used in Grenfell Tower would have acted as an accelerant, causing the blaze to spread at such a fast rate that rescue operations would have been impossible.