British PM Theresa May meets with residents of London's Grenfell Tower, but questions remain
LONDON -- Police now say at least 58 people are presumed dead following a horrific fire Wednesday that destroyed a high-rise apartment building -- and the people who lived there are demanding answers.
Anger boiled over on Friday as people stormed Kensington & Chelsea Town Hall.
Soon afterwards, Prime Minister Theresa May was chased away from a local church. On Saturday, she met with a group of residents in the more controlled setting of 10 Downing Street.
Officials have yet to answer several key questions: What caused the fire, could it have been prevented and why aren't people getting the aid they desperately need now?
Many survivors are sleeping on the floor in community centers and there's still no coordinated distribution of donated food and clothing.
Residents who survived said they warned the building's manager about fire hazards for years but were ignored.
Miguel Alves complained "many times" about construction tools blocking the exits. The neighborhood's resident's association said the management company was negligent.
"People raised these concerns, people were expressing issues regarding the safety and dangerous living conditions," says Lancaster West Residents Association chairwoman Olesea Matcovschi. "Unfortunately they were not listened."
Residents are now dealing with theg tragic consequences. Omar al-Haj Ali was rescued by firefighters from his 14th floor apartment. But his brother, who he thought was right behind him, didn't make it out.
"I said 'where are you?' He said 'I'm in the flat,'" Ali said. I said 'why you didn't come -- they brought us outside, I thought you are with us.' He said 'no one brought me outside.' He said, 'why you left me?'"
Building officials have not commented since the fire. The recovery effort resumed this afternoon, but the police warn it could take weeks for answers to emerge.
