Aldgate East fire: Residents say housing association refused to install fire alarms after previous blazes
- 2 years ago
Terrified residents of the Aldgate East tower block which dramatically caught fire on Monday have told of how their calls to install communal fire alarms after previous blazes were refused.
Flames ripped through flats on the 17th floor of the building and left several homes gutted, with shocked onlookers fearing they could have been witnessing another tragedy like Grenfell Tower.
Panes of glass fell 17 storeys to the street as the fire raged and surrounding roads were closed.
More than 120 firefighters had to battle the blaze in the Relay Building, in Whitechapel High Street, and fortunately there were no fatalities, with two people taken to hospital.
Dozens had to be evacuated from the block despite the building having the same ‘stay put’ policy as Grenfell, with some residents only finding out about the blaze on WhatsApp.
Flames ripped through flats on the 17th floor of the building and left several homes gutted, with shocked onlookers fearing they could have been witnessing another tragedy like Grenfell Tower.
Panes of glass fell 17 storeys to the street as the fire raged and surrounding roads were closed.
More than 120 firefighters had to battle the blaze in the Relay Building, in Whitechapel High Street, and fortunately there were no fatalities, with two people taken to hospital.
Dozens had to be evacuated from the block despite the building having the same ‘stay put’ policy as Grenfell, with some residents only finding out about the blaze on WhatsApp.