Grief, anger and shame: One month on from west London's great tragedy

One month has passed since the horrifying blaze in Grenfell Tower claimed the lives of at least 80 people.

On Wednesday June 14, the 24-storey block of flats in North Kensington was engulfed in flames.

More than 200 firefighters were called to the fire, which was caused by a faulty fridge on the fourth floor, and crews spent around 60 hours extinguishing it.

Grenfell Tower fire latest

In the hours and days following the tragic events which caught the world's attention, there were protests, calls for resignations, inquiries launched, and an outpouring of tributes and grief.

Although the definitive death toll is not expected until at least 2018, there are currently "at least" 80 victims and 34 have been formally identified.

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Prime Minister Theresa May announced a full public inquiry into the events of June 14, to hopefully provide survivors with the answers they need.

This week, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan called for an interim report to be presented this summer.

Millions of pounds were also raised to support the survivors, the majority of whom are still living in hotels - one week after Kensington and Chelsea Council's three-week deadline to find the survivors homes.

Here we take a look back at how events unfolded, the work of the emergency services and how a community came together.

Time Line

The Grenfell Tower fire

Wednesday June 14 - 12.54am

Forty engines and more than 200 firefighters were called to a 24-storey block of flats in North Kensington after a fire broke out on the fourth floor of the tower.
Wednesday June 14 - 6.28am

London Fire Brigade confirmed that crews rescued 65 people from the building during the night and London Ambulance Service confirmed that 30 patients have been taken to hospital.
Wednesday June 14 - 6.58am
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan declares major incident at Grenfell Tower as people continue to be rescued.
Wednesday June 14 - 7.37am

Former Kensington and Chelsea Council leader Nick Paget-Brown spoke to Sky News and said "several hundreds" of people would have been inside the tower block.
Wednesday June 14 - 8:00am
London Fire Commissioner Dany Cotton confirms there have been a number of fatalities in the fire.
Wednesday June 14 - 8.33

The number of people taken to hospital by the London Ambulance Service rises to 50.
Wednesday June 14 - 9.00am
Grenfell Action Group speaks out about fire safety warnings on several blogs on its website but said their warnings “fell on deaf ears”

The group repeatedly raised fears of a "catastrophic event" and said the blaze was "inevitable".
Wednesday June 14 - 11.17am

Met Police confirm the death toll stands at six people but suggest that figure will rise.

A spokesman said: "We can confirm six fatalities at this time following the fire in North Kensington in the early hours of this morning, Wednesday, 14 June.

"These are very early stages and we do expect that figure to rise."
Wednesday June 14 - 12.15pm
Major incidents are declared at St Mary’s and Charing Cross hospitals following the fire, people are urged only to attend if it is an emergency.
Wednesday June 14 - 2.30pm

Downing Street releases a statement and said the Prime Minister is "deeply saddened" by the events.

A spokesman said: "The Prime Minister is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life in the Grenfell Tower and is being kept constantly updated on the situation."
Wednesday June 14 - 5.07pm

Commander Stuart Cundy of the Metropolitan Police confirms the initial death toll stands at 12 people.

He said: "I can confirm that there are now 12 people who have died, that we know of.

"This is going to be a long and complex recovery operation, and I do anticipate that the number of fatalities will sadly increase beyond those 12."
Wednesday June 14 - 8.00pm

Huge amounts of donations are received by the local council after the community "rallied together".

A statement from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea said: "We have been inundated with kind offers of help and support by individuals, organisations and businesses.

"It has been overwhelming and been brilliant but we have not been able to sift through all these offers yet."
Wednesday June 14 - 9.00pm

Prime Minister Theresa May confirms there will be a "proper investigation" into the events at Grenfell Tower.

She said: "There are people tonight who have no home to go to, they have lost absolutely everything, so our focus must be on support to them.

“In due course, when the scene is secure, when it’s possible to identify the cause of this fire, then of course there will be proper investigation and if there are any lessons to be learnt they will be, and action will be taken.”
Wednesday June 14 - 9.30pm

A vigil is held for the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire at the Notting Hill Methodist Church in west London.
Thursday June 15 - 1.14am
Firefighters bring the Grenfell Tower blaze under control - 24-hours on from when it broke out.
Thursday June 15 - 11.00am

Metropolitan Police confirm 17 people died following the fire
Thursday June 15 - 1.15am
Prime Minister Theresa May orders a full public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire and said the victims needs answers.
Thursday June 15 - 12.30pm

A 25-year-old Syrian refugee named Mohammed Al Haj, who came to London "to find safety", was the first victim confirmed of the Grenfell Tower blaze.
Thursday June 15 - 3.00pm
Theresa May returns to the site to meet victims and announces £5 million emergency fund.
Friday June 16
Metropolitan Police confirm "at least" 30 people died in the fire which consumed Grenfell Tower.
Friday June 16

Protesters storm Kensington and Chelsea council in search of answers and action.

Their demands included a list of residents of the tower or a number of residents so that the true scale of fatalities can be known.
Saturday June 17
Met Police confirm that 58 people are missing and "assumed dead" after the fire.

The official death toll remains at 30, but police confirm that 58 people, who were reported as being inside the tower at the time of the fire, are assumed dead.
Sunday June 18

Chancellor Phillip Hammond suggests the cladding on Grenfell Tower, which caused the flames to engulf the tower so rapidly, is banned in Britain.

The Chancellor said a criminal investigation would examine whether building regulations had been breached when the block was overhauled just last year.
Monday June 19

Met Police confirm 79 people have died or are missing presumed dead.

Commander of the Metropolitan Police, Stuart Cundy said he believed that number may change.

He said: "As of this morning, I am afraid to say there are now 79 people that we believe are either dead or missing, I sadly have to presume dead."
Monday June 19

A silent walk of remembrance is held to remember victims who died in the fire.

The crowd carried banners and posters as they spent time slowly walking from Ladbroke Grove to Latymer Community Church, along Cambridge Gardens.
Wednesday June 21
Hundreds of people gather in Shepherds Bush Green for the Grenfell Tower "Day of Rage" protest.

The diverse group from across the United Kingdom had travelled to London for the protest, but were faced with criticism from locals.
Thursday June 22

Following criticism for its response to the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy, the chief executive of Kensington and Chelsea council quits.

Mr Holgate said: "Serving the families so desperately affected by the heartbreaking tragedy at Grenfell Tower remains the highest priority of the council."
Thursday June 22
Theresa May says tests on tower blocks following the tower block fire have shown cladding on some blocks is "combustible".

The Prime Minister said local authorities and fire services concerned are taking "all possible steps" to ensure buildings are safe and residents have been informed.
Thursday June 22

Theresa May announces no immigration checks will be carried out on residents affected by the fire.
Friday June 23
Met Police confirm the Grenfell Tower fire was caused by a faulty fridge in the block.
Sunday June 25

High-rises in Hounslow and Brent are among 34 buildings to fail fire cladding safety tests, as a major review of fire safety continues across the country.
Wednesday June 28

Prime Minister Theresa May orders a national investigation into cladding and insulation on high-rise towers as number of blocks found to fail Government tests rises to 120.
Wednesday June 28
The death toll is believed to be around 80, but Met Police say the true total of those killed in the devastating blaze may not be known until the end of the year.

Metropolitan Police Detective Superintendent Fiona McCormack said the vast majority of the 80 were from just 23 flats spread between the 11th and 23rd floors.
Thursday June 29

Press and public are banned from attending a Kensington and Chelsea Borough Council Cabinet meeting about the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

The meeting was later scrapped after journalists entered the room as Leader Nicholas Paget-Brown claimed reports of the meeting in the media would “prejudice” the upcoming public inquiry.
Friday June 30
Kensington and Chelsea Council leader Nicholas Paget-Brown steps down as leader of the council after trying to ban the press from a council meeting.
Tuesday 4 July

Elizabeth Campbell is nominated as new leader of Kensington and Chelsea Council.

Cllr Robert Atkinson, leader of the Labour opposition group, says Mrs Cambell is an improvement on her “unempathetic" predecessors.
Tuesday July 4

Kensington MP Emma Dent Coad joins the growing number of people calling for Sir Martin Moore-Bick to step down as chairman of the Grenfell Tower public inquiry.
Tuesday July 4
The tragedy will "cast dark shadow" over Notting Hill Carnival, according Pepe Francis MBE, the chairman of the London Notting Hill Carnival Enterprises Trust, who organises the event.

However, he said this year's event will show the “solidarity, support and respect for the victims of the fire”.
Tuesday June 4

The Communities and Local Government Secretary Sajid Javid said victims were failed by the state and claimed the poor response to the fire had created unnecessary extra suffering.
Wednesday July 5
Communities Secretary Sajid Javid announces a specialist taskforce is to take over running key services at Kensington and Chelsea Council after the fire.

Mr Javid said they will be managing the council's housing, regeneration, community engagement and governance services.
Wednesday July 5

Met Police reveals that 87 "recoveries" of human remains have been made so far, but Commander Stuart Cundy stressed it does not mean there are 87 fatalities confirmed
Wednesday July 5
The majority of survivors still remain in hotels, it is revealed on the three-week deadline the Council set itself for offering housing to all left homeless by the blaze.

Robert Atkinson, leader of the opposition, said: “The council should go out and buy property.

“We have identified are 162 individual properties in the north of the borough, we have the money and we have the property.

“Just go out and bloody buy it.”
Thursday July 6

Hundreds of free holidays are offered to the heroic firefighters called to the tower block.

After being crowd-sourced by members of the public, more than 370 holidays have been offered in the Grenfell Tower Holiday Appeal Facebook Group since the blaze.
Thursday July 6

Combustible cladding similar to Grenfell Tower is removed from a 13-storey Hounslow tower block which failed a combustion test.
Friday July 7
The Grenfell Response Team (GRT) said movement in the building’s structure had been detected, but that this was fully expected following the intensity of the blaze.

They suggest the remains pose "no risk to the general public".
Saturday July 8

BBC's Newsnight finds firefighters tackling the Grenfell Tower fire were hampered by problems with their equipment.

Crews reported their firefighting operation was hindered by low water pressure, radio problems and issues with breathing apparatus.
Monday July 10
The Kensington & Chelsea Foundation confirms £4.5 million has been collected in the aftermath of the tragedy.

A spokesman said: “What is needed, and what we at the K&C Foundation are committed to deliver, is long-term compassionate support and care based locally here in the community."
Tuesday July 11

Met Police announces they stand by the death toll of "around 80" and say it will look at potential offences, including manslaughter charges.

Commander Stuart Cundy reveals 255 escaped the building during the terrifying blaze.
Tuesday July 11
Councillors in Brent commit to £10 million in fire safety improvements for the borough's tower blocks in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
Wednesday July 12
Footage and pictures from inside the tower block is released four weeks after the disaster, showing officers climbing the fire escape of the high-rise block.
Wednesday July 12

Vigil is held close to the burned out tower. Mourners gather at the tribute wall in Bramley Road, which sprung up shortly after the fire.
Wednesday July 12
An inquest into the deaths of the Grenfell Tower victims opens at Westminster Coroner's Court.

Coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox reveals 34 of the people who died in the Grenfell Tower have been formally identified.

"We have identified 34 people who have died as a result of the fire and our work is ongoing and proceeding as well as it can in these circumstances," she said.
Thursday July 13

A meeting with survivors descends into chaos as residents heckle the tragedy's lead investigator.

Investigating officer Matt Bonner was questioned at St Clement's Church and, when explaining where his staff were at with the investigation, residents became angry began heckling.

Amongst other things, residents shouted "it is terrorism" and "you didn't just burn down the tower, you murdered our friends, you murdered our families".
Thursday July 13

The Mayor of London lays into Kensington and Chelsea Council over its ongoing response to the fire, suggesting the council is "inept and incompetent and close to being useless".
Thursday July 13

Readers of Getwestlondon raise an incredible £42,227 for the victims of the fire, with 1,636 contributors pledging anything from £1 to £700.
Friday July 14

A march is planned to makr one month since the fire broke out

Time Line

The Grenfell Tower fire

Wednesday June 14 - 12.54am

Forty engines and more than 200 firefighters were called to a 24-storey block of flats in North Kensington after a fire broke out on the fourth floor of the tower.
Wednesday June 14 - 6.28am

London Fire Brigade confirmed that crews rescued 65 people from the building during the night and London Ambulance Service confirmed that 30 patients have been taken to hospital.
Wednesday June 14 - 6.58am
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan declares major incident at Grenfell Tower as people continue to be rescued.
Wednesday June 14 - 7.37am

Former Kensington and Chelsea Council leader Nick Paget-Brown spoke to Sky News and said "several hundreds" of people would have been inside the tower block.
Wednesday June 14 - 8:00am
London Fire Commissioner Dany Cotton confirms there have been a number of fatalities in the fire.
Wednesday June 14 - 8.33

The number of people taken to hospital by the London Ambulance Service rises to 50.
Wednesday June 14 - 9.00am
Grenfell Action Group speaks out about fire safety warnings on several blogs on its website but said their warnings “fell on deaf ears”

The group repeatedly raised fears of a "catastrophic event" and said the blaze was "inevitable".
Wednesday June 14 - 11.17am

Met Police confirm the death toll stands at six people but suggest that figure will rise.

A spokesman said: "We can confirm six fatalities at this time following the fire in North Kensington in the early hours of this morning, Wednesday, 14 June.

"These are very early stages and we do expect that figure to rise."
Wednesday June 14 - 12.15pm
Major incidents are declared at St Mary’s and Charing Cross hospitals following the fire, people are urged only to attend if it is an emergency.
Wednesday June 14 - 2.30pm

Downing Street releases a statement and said the Prime Minister is "deeply saddened" by the events.

A spokesman said: "The Prime Minister is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life in the Grenfell Tower and is being kept constantly updated on the situation."
Wednesday June 14 - 5.07pm

Commander Stuart Cundy of the Metropolitan Police confirms the initial death toll stands at 12 people.

He said: "I can confirm that there are now 12 people who have died, that we know of.

"This is going to be a long and complex recovery operation, and I do anticipate that the number of fatalities will sadly increase beyond those 12."
Wednesday June 14 - 8.00pm

Huge amounts of donations are received by the local council after the community "rallied together".

A statement from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea said: "We have been inundated with kind offers of help and support by individuals, organisations and businesses.

"It has been overwhelming and been brilliant but we have not been able to sift through all these offers yet."
Wednesday June 14 - 9.00pm

Prime Minister Theresa May confirms there will be a "proper investigation" into the events at Grenfell Tower.

She said: "There are people tonight who have no home to go to, they have lost absolutely everything, so our focus must be on support to them.

“In due course, when the scene is secure, when it’s possible to identify the cause of this fire, then of course there will be proper investigation and if there are any lessons to be learnt they will be, and action will be taken.”
Wednesday June 14 - 9.30pm

A vigil is held for the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire at the Notting Hill Methodist Church in west London.
Thursday June 15 - 1.14am
Firefighters bring the Grenfell Tower blaze under control - 24-hours on from when it broke out.
Thursday June 15 - 11.00am

Metropolitan Police confirm 17 people died following the fire
Thursday June 15 - 1.15am
Prime Minister Theresa May orders a full public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire and said the victims needs answers.
Thursday June 15 - 12.30pm

A 25-year-old Syrian refugee named Mohammed Al Haj, who came to London "to find safety", was the first victim confirmed of the Grenfell Tower blaze.
Thursday June 15 - 3.00pm
Theresa May returns to the site to meet victims and announces £5 million emergency fund.
Friday June 16
Metropolitan Police confirm "at least" 30 people died in the fire which consumed Grenfell Tower.
Friday June 16

Protesters storm Kensington and Chelsea council in search of answers and action.

Their demands included a list of residents of the tower or a number of residents so that the true scale of fatalities can be known.
Saturday June 17
Met Police confirm that 58 people are missing and "assumed dead" after the fire.

The official death toll remains at 30, but police confirm that 58 people, who were reported as being inside the tower at the time of the fire, are assumed dead.
Sunday June 18

Chancellor Phillip Hammond suggests the cladding on Grenfell Tower, which caused the flames to engulf the tower so rapidly, is banned in Britain.

The Chancellor said a criminal investigation would examine whether building regulations had been breached when the block was overhauled just last year.
Monday June 19

Met Police confirm 79 people have died or are missing presumed dead.

Commander of the Metropolitan Police, Stuart Cundy said he believed that number may change.

He said: "As of this morning, I am afraid to say there are now 79 people that we believe are either dead or missing, I sadly have to presume dead."
Monday June 19

A silent walk of remembrance is held to remember victims who died in the fire.

The crowd carried banners and posters as they spent time slowly walking from Ladbroke Grove to Latymer Community Church, along Cambridge Gardens.
Wednesday June 21
Hundreds of people gather in Shepherds Bush Green for the Grenfell Tower "Day of Rage" protest.

The diverse group from across the United Kingdom had travelled to London for the protest, but were faced with criticism from locals.
Thursday June 22

Following criticism for its response to the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy, the chief executive of Kensington and Chelsea council quits.

Mr Holgate said: "Serving the families so desperately affected by the heartbreaking tragedy at Grenfell Tower remains the highest priority of the council."
Thursday June 22
Theresa May says tests on tower blocks following the tower block fire have shown cladding on some blocks is "combustible".

The Prime Minister said local authorities and fire services concerned are taking "all possible steps" to ensure buildings are safe and residents have been informed.
Thursday June 22

Theresa May announces no immigration checks will be carried out on residents affected by the fire.
Friday June 23
Met Police confirm the Grenfell Tower fire was caused by a faulty fridge in the block.
Sunday June 25

High-rises in Hounslow and Brent are among 34 buildings to fail fire cladding safety tests, as a major review of fire safety continues across the country.
Wednesday June 28

Prime Minister Theresa May orders a national investigation into cladding and insulation on high-rise towers as number of blocks found to fail Government tests rises to 120.
Wednesday June 28
The death toll is believed to be around 80, but Met Police say the true total of those killed in the devastating blaze may not be known until the end of the year.

Metropolitan Police Detective Superintendent Fiona McCormack said the vast majority of the 80 were from just 23 flats spread between the 11th and 23rd floors.
Thursday June 29

Press and public are banned from attending a Kensington and Chelsea Borough Council Cabinet meeting about the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

The meeting was later scrapped after journalists entered the room as Leader Nicholas Paget-Brown claimed reports of the meeting in the media would “prejudice” the upcoming public inquiry.
Friday June 30
Kensington and Chelsea Council leader Nicholas Paget-Brown steps down as leader of the council after trying to ban the press from a council meeting.
Tuesday 4 July

Elizabeth Campbell is nominated as new leader of Kensington and Chelsea Council.

Cllr Robert Atkinson, leader of the Labour opposition group, says Mrs Cambell is an improvement on her “unempathetic" predecessors.
Tuesday July 4

Kensington MP Emma Dent Coad joins the growing number of people calling for Sir Martin Moore-Bick to step down as chairman of the Grenfell Tower public inquiry.
Tuesday July 4
The tragedy will "cast dark shadow" over Notting Hill Carnival, according Pepe Francis MBE, the chairman of the London Notting Hill Carnival Enterprises Trust, who organises the event.

However, he said this year's event will show the “solidarity, support and respect for the victims of the fire”.
Tuesday June 4

The Communities and Local Government Secretary Sajid Javid said victims were failed by the state and claimed the poor response to the fire had created unnecessary extra suffering.
Wednesday July 5
Communities Secretary Sajid Javid announces a specialist taskforce is to take over running key services at Kensington and Chelsea Council after the fire.

Mr Javid said they will be managing the council's housing, regeneration, community engagement and governance services.
Wednesday July 5

Met Police reveals that 87 "recoveries" of human remains have been made so far, but Commander Stuart Cundy stressed it does not mean there are 87 fatalities confirmed
Wednesday July 5
The majority of survivors still remain in hotels, it is revealed on the three-week deadline the Council set itself for offering housing to all left homeless by the blaze.

Robert Atkinson, leader of the opposition, said: “The council should go out and buy property.

“We have identified are 162 individual properties in the north of the borough, we have the money and we have the property.

“Just go out and bloody buy it.”
Thursday July 6

Hundreds of free holidays are offered to the heroic firefighters called to the tower block.

After being crowd-sourced by members of the public, more than 370 holidays have been offered in the Grenfell Tower Holiday Appeal Facebook Group since the blaze.
Thursday July 6

Combustible cladding similar to Grenfell Tower is removed from a 13-storey Hounslow tower block which failed a combustion test.
Friday July 7
The Grenfell Response Team (GRT) said movement in the building’s structure had been detected, but that this was fully expected following the intensity of the blaze.

They suggest the remains pose "no risk to the general public".
Saturday July 8

BBC's Newsnight finds firefighters tackling the Grenfell Tower fire were hampered by problems with their equipment.

Crews reported their firefighting operation was hindered by low water pressure, radio problems and issues with breathing apparatus.
Monday July 10
The Kensington & Chelsea Foundation confirms £4.5 million has been collected in the aftermath of the tragedy.

A spokesman said: “What is needed, and what we at the K&C Foundation are committed to deliver, is long-term compassionate support and care based locally here in the community."
Tuesday July 11

Met Police announces they stand by the death toll of "around 80" and say it will look at potential offences, including manslaughter charges.

Commander Stuart Cundy reveals 255 escaped the building during the terrifying blaze.
Tuesday July 11
Councillors in Brent commit to £10 million in fire safety improvements for the borough's tower blocks in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
Wednesday July 12
Footage and pictures from inside the tower block is released four weeks after the disaster, showing officers climbing the fire escape of the high-rise block.
Wednesday July 12

Vigil is held close to the burned out tower. Mourners gather at the tribute wall in Bramley Road, which sprung up shortly after the fire.
Wednesday July 12
An inquest into the deaths of the Grenfell Tower victims opens at Westminster Coroner's Court.

Coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox reveals 34 of the people who died in the Grenfell Tower have been formally identified.

"We have identified 34 people who have died as a result of the fire and our work is ongoing and proceeding as well as it can in these circumstances," she said.
Thursday July 13

A meeting with survivors descends into chaos as residents heckle the tragedy's lead investigator.

Investigating officer Matt Bonner was questioned at St Clement's Church and, when explaining where his staff were at with the investigation, residents became angry began heckling.

Amongst other things, residents shouted "it is terrorism" and "you didn't just burn down the tower, you murdered our friends, you murdered our families".
Thursday July 13

The Mayor of London lays into Kensington and Chelsea Council over its ongoing response to the fire, suggesting the council is "inept and incompetent and close to being useless".
Thursday July 13

Readers of Getwestlondon raise an incredible £42,227 for the victims of the fire, with 1,636 contributors pledging anything from £1 to £700.
Friday July 14

A march is planned to makr one month since the fire broke out