British Prime Minister Theresa May sought yesterday to quell anger over a deadly tower block fire, meeting victims of the disaster in her 10 Downing Street office a day after protesters had jeered her when she visited local residents.
The crowds were later joined by thousands of peaceful protesters in a carnival-like atmosphere, although a few young men tried unsuccessfully to break through the police cordon outside the tower. A scuffle broke out.
A number of demonstrators entered the building while holding placards and appeal posters as they shouted "we want an inquest" and "we want justice".
The death toll in the high-rise tower blaze in Britain's capital soared to 30, police said Friday as they also warned that some of the victims may never be identified.
Emergency workers on a raised platform point at a section of the fire-gutted Grenfell Tower in London, Friday, June 16, 2017, after a fire engulfed the 24-story building Wednesday morning.
The fire has been a major test for Prime Minister Theresa May, whose Conservative Party is clinging to power after losing majority control of Parliament to a Labour surge in a snap election this month.
The announcement, by Commander Stuart Cundy, who said the toll was still expected to rise, came as Queen Elizabeth II said the country was filled with sadness.
She added: "The response of the emergency services, NHS and the community has been heroic. We have worked tirelessly over the last four days to truly understand those that we know were there on the night".
At least 70 people, including children and entire families, have been reported missing following the Grenfell Tower fire in London.
The building had been home to a diverse group of residents, many of them from Sudan, Eritrea, and Syria. The Independent reports that Saye posted to Facebook at 3 am Wednesday that she and her mother were trapped in their apartment, and asked people to pray for them.
"The response we got from the council was not satisfactory", he said.
She visited the site of the fire on Latimer Road on Thursday, speaking to first responders.
- How did the fire spread so fast?
A second protest took place later in central London.
Firefighters were using drones and sniffer dogs to search the building, as some of the upper floors have not yet been made safe.
London police said an investigation, led by a detective from its homicide and major crime unit, would examine whether criminal offences had been committed although they said there was nothing to suggest the fire was started deliberately.