WATCH: Five days of Grenfell

Video: One month after the deadly Grenfell fire, The New Arab takes a raw look back at the first five days of the tragedy.
2 min read
17 Jul, 2017
Authorities expect the death toll to rise [Getty]
On June 14, a fire sparked in one of London's high-rise towers, and, within minutes, the entire residential block was alight. Hundreds of residents were trapped as the blaze spread.

Locals spent the entire night watching in distress as residents called for help from countless windows across multiple floors.

As survivors were smoked out of the building, fire brigades from across the city tended to what was described as an unprecedented major fire event – the worst in modern British history.

Just hours after the fire began, while firefighters were still struggled to fight the blaze, communities locally and across the country mobilised to support those affected.

Donations and aid worth hundreds of thousands of pounds arrived at community centres, churches and mosques in the area, and protesters took to the streets in solidarity to demand justice for Grenfell residents.

More than a month after the disaster, authorities have confirmed the deaths of 80 people in the fire and a criminal investigation has been launched.

The death toll is still expected to rise – but due to the intensity of the fire, police say some bodies will never be identified.

The New Arab team was on the scene in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy.

Here are the first five days we witnessed: