Angry Grenfell Tower fire survivors say their concerns were ignored

Within view of the silent, gutted hulk of London's Grenfell Tower, a neglected community was unusually congested with visitors.

They came from as far away as Leeds and Birmingham, and from all across the city andalso fromup the street, all carrying or dragging something. A man strides up, hisarms full ofboxes of instant oatmeal. An elderly woman wobbles over with a singlelarge bag ofpotatoes in the basket of her walker.

They meet under a bridgeon a stretch of pavement repurposed into acolourful bazaar of donations: diapers, bottled water, crates of juice,and piles and piles of clothes.

With the clamour to helpcomes the warmth of people working together with commonpurpose.

• PM orders inquiry in Londonhighrisefire
• 'I sat there watching my house burn down': Witnesses recount horror of London blaze
• PHOTOS |Dramatic pictures of London's massivehighrisefire

But in parallel with the accompanying grief and the gratitude, there is also a forcefulundercurrent of anger after afire early Wednesdayin this tower block killed at least 30 people, with dozens more injuredor unaccounted for.

Though Grenfell Tower sits in one of London's most privileged neighbourhoods astone's throw from former prime minister David Cameron's place and the cafes andantique shops of Portobello Road it was also home to some of its poorest residents, many of whom are Muslim.

The social housing building in North Kensington was refurbished last year. Yetmultiple residents say their long-standing concerns about substandard fire safetymeasures were systematically ignored.

Everyone who lives in the area knows why, says a local activist.

"This is unambiguously about class," said the man, who did not wish to beidentified. "They just don't give a shit aboutpoor people's lives."

"If this building were up the road [in the wealthier part],this would never have happened."

A growing number of local voices, including a rap artist and a pastor, agree this is all about the divide between rich and poor.

"These things will keep happening if the poor carry on being ignored," said Danny Vance, of the Notting Hill Community church, to the Independent.

It is a sentiment that permeates the lanes here, among the diverse community in and around Grenfell Tower.

That sentiment burst to the surface when, on Thursday, LondonMayor Sadiq Khanvisited Grenfell's remains.

"Someone needs to be held accountable!" yelled one of the tower's survivors,interrupting Khan more than once. "These deaths could have been prevented!"

It is an unbearable thought for those struggling with loss or the looming inevitabilityof it, once all the bodies are recovered.

'It's traumatic for everybody'

They stand nearby in several groups of people hugging and crying, still waiting for news.

Plenty of the talk is of the injustice of it all. Of the people who had little and nowhave nothing.

The first victim to be named was Mohammad Al-Haj Ali, a Syrian refugee. He arrived in 2014 to escape the dangers of war.

Unable to escape the danger in his own home unlike his brother, who wasrescued he waited for help. But none came.

On his cellphone, Al-Haj Aliasked his brother why he'd left him behind.

"He said 'Why you left me?'" Omar said tearfully to BBC News.

"He said 'I'm dying.'"

London highrise fire victim remembered

7 years ago

Duration 9:43

Abdulaziz Almashi talks about his friend Mohammed Al Haj Ali, the first person identified as a victim of the Grenfell Tower fire.

In the crowd there is talk of an absence of sprinklers at Grenfell,lack of a firealarm, the single fire escape in the highrise.

Four young women with headscarves stop to talk, some still withtears in their eyes.

"You just can't imagine people up there just so vulnerable, and you can't help them it's just traumatic for everybody," said one woman, who wanted to be identified as Sam.

'It is wicked'

The smell of smoke still hangs in the air, and a middle-aged woman stops to hand out white face masks. She wears one too. Two of the young women reluctantly take one.

"The building wasn't safe," adds Sam. "It's not about looking good from the outside,it's about being safe on the inside."

British media report the renovation was largely aesthetic. Some experts are blamingflammable cladding the exterior covering of the building.

Arnold Tarling, associate director of Hindwoods Chartered Surveyors, saidhe'swarned about the risks of not using fire- resistant cladding.

He said he burst into tears when he heard about the fire.

"This tragedy is totally avoidable," he said. "I would say it iswicked that these people have had to die."

The problem isn't unique to social housing, he added. But, "If you have no contacts,no sway in society, then they will ignore you more."

In another group of bystanders, a young woman says the government has blood onits hands. There's suspicion about why it's taking so long to release the truenumber of the dead.

The authorities have promised an update assoon as it's safe enough to comb through the building.

In the meantime, North Kensington is clocking visitors. Adele wasphotographeddropping in and hugging people.

Prime Minister Theresa May came by Thursday on a private visitand forsecurity reasons, say officials did not meet any survivors. She has ordered a full public inquiry.

Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn met and hugged some of them. They complained tohim about May's failure to speak to any of them.

'Why did this need to happen?'

On a wall of condolences nearby, the expressions of resentment are scrawled incolourful markers.

"Fight the power," says one. "Why did this need to happen?" says another.

The questions are hard to answer. Volunteers in blue jackets marked "street pastor" work the crowd. Women in headscarves and men with full beards walk over from a nearby mosque with supplies.

Rev. MarkO'Donoghue, area dean ofKensington, says people "from all sorts of communities" pull together at times like this.

Some in America like to imagine that we are reeling. Londoners never reel. We stand together.- Rev. MarkO'Donoghue

"Some in America like to imagine that we are reeling. Londoners never reel. Westand together," he said.

But there are grievances that remain. Lately, Muslims here have felt judged not by their own actions in the aftermath of tragedy but by those of radical Muslims like the ones who carried out the recent terror attacks in ManchesterandLondon.

Still, it hasn't stopped them from taking time out during this Muslim holy month of Ramadan to help those left homeless by the fire in North Kensington.

"We're coming out and helping people, because we're human beings," said Sam, who lives in the neighbourhood.

"This is whatRamadanis all about," said her friendShazia. "We deprive ourselves offood and drink and feel what poor people feel."

On the wall of condolences nearby, the messages multiply in tandem with thedonations.

Some address the victims directly.

"Rest in peace, all you beautiful souls," said one.

"Our loss is heaven's gain," wrote another.

Three teenage girls walk up to a lamppost and use lengths ofscotch tape to put up a photocopy of a missing person poster.

It carries the picture of Jessica Urbana, 12, wholived on the 20th floor ofGrenfell Tower.

The girls said they didn't know her.

"We're just helping."