Grenfell tower fire: Death toll may have been covered up to prevent a riot, says MP

David Lammy has argued the real number of people killed in the Grenfell Tower catastrophe may have been covered up to prevent riots. The official figure of those who are either confirmed dead or missing and presumed dead remains at 79 but is expected to increase further. Metropolitan Police Commander Stuart Cundy has said he hoped the final death toll “does not reach treble figures”.

Mr Lammy noted that people on the ground were saying the fire claimed more lives than the official figures were showing. He argued it was imperative the public and the authorities listened to the personal accounts of people from and around Grenfell Tower.

He said: “In one flat alone, people say there were up to 40 people gathering because they gathered in the flat, it was Ramadan”.

He added: “I am being honest about what people have said to me. I was not standing outside of Grenfell Tower watching my neighbours jump and burn to death but I’ve heard those people and we should validate what they’re saying, they’re not making it up”.

Constructed in 1974, the tower is thought to have contained 120 flats and have been home to between 400 and 600 people…

Source: Grenfell tower fire: Death toll may have been covered up to prevent a riot, says David Lammy MP | The Independent