The long-awaited final report from the Grenfell Tower fire inquiry has placed significant blame on the incompetence and greed of various parties involved in the building's maintenance. The 2017 fire, which killed 72 people in one of London's deadliest residential blazes, was primarily fueled by the flammable cladding installed during a recent refurbishment. The report condemned the firms responsible for installing the unsafe cladding, accusing them of dishonesty and prioritizing profits over safety. The companies involved, including Arconic, Kingspan, and Celotex, were found to have misled regulators and the public by manipulating fire safety tests.

The inquiry also criticized government bodies, including the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC), and the Tenant Management Organization (TMO), for their failure to enforce proper fire safety standards. Warnings about the dangers of the cladding were ignored for years, and the local authorities’ slow response to the disaster was deemed inadequate. The inquiry also highlighted the failure of fire safety regulators to implement lessons from previous fires in high-rise buildings, further contributing to the tragedy.

Further complicating the situation, the fire brigade's response was found lacking due to insufficient training and preparation for a fire of this magnitude. Many residents had followed official advice to "stay put," leading to a higher death toll when the fire spread rapidly due to the cladding. Survivors and victims' families have expressed outrage over these findings, with some survivors calling for those responsible to face criminal charges.

The tragedy has reignited discussions around fire safety regulations and corporate accountability, with calls for tighter oversight on building materials and more stringent fire safety measures in high-rise structures. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer apologized to the victims' families on behalf of the state, promising reforms to prevent similar disasters in the future. However, the pursuit of justice through criminal charges against those involved is still expected to take years due to the complexity of the case.

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