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Survivors of the Camberwell tower block inferno have accused firefighters of failing to help those who lost their lives in the blaze.
During a highly charged public meeting, residents who escaped the blaze claimed they were ordered back from the block's only stairwell by firefighters.
Many said they only managed to get out by ignoring the firefighters' instructions to stay inside their maisonette homes in the 12-storey Lakanal House at the Sceaux Gardens Estate.
Members of the Fire Brigade said it was vital firefighters had access to the stairwell to fight the fire.
Residents demanded answers from officers at a residents association meeting held in an identical neighbouring tower block last night. Yolimar Caboz, 33, whose friend Dayana Francisquini, 26, her three-year-old son Felipe, and six-year-old daughter Thais perished while cowering from the flames in their flat, fought back tears as she repeatedly asked why her friend had been told to abandon an attempt to descend the stairwell to safety.
They died in Miss Francisquini's bathroom along with Helen Udoaka and her three-week-old baby Michelle.
Rasheed Nuhu, his wife Fatima and children Mariam, three, and Yasmeenah, 19 months, had also been in the room but escaped unhurt after ignoring the firefighters' advice.
The sixth victim, Catherine Hickman, a 31-year-old fashion designer, died in a flat next door.
Miss Caboz, who urged Miss Francisquini to leave her flat while talking on the telephone before she died, told London Fire Commissioner Ron Dobson: "My best friend died and I would like to know why, when she tried to come down the stairs, firefighters told her to go back to her bedroom.
"I told firefighters and police that she was in there and pointed at her flat and no one went to get her.
"She was on the 11th floor yet someone on the 13th floor was able to come down the stairs after she was back inside her flat. It doesn't make sense."
London Underground worker Femi Adesola, 40, said: "I want to say categorically that the Fire Brigade was responsible for some of the deaths in that building.
"I came out of my flat on the seventh floor when I saw fire near my windows.
"A fireman told me to stay inside but I took my three children and left. If I hadn't we all would have been dead."
A pregnant mother who did not want to be named almost collapsed in the meeting as she described her struggle to get help during the blaze.
She said: "I was on the seventh floor for 90 minutes with two babies.
"Explain to me why I had to grab on to a firefighter's sleeve and scream, 'Don't go, don't leave me.'? No one wants to see their children die." Mr Dobson and other members of the Fire Brigade sitting on panel at the meeting were frequently heckled as they spoke.
Mr Dobson said: "If everybody had left at the same time that would have filled the stairwell up with people. We had to be able to get to the fire.
"There were a lot of firefighters trying to get up those stairs.
"The advice that was given was based upon a risk assessment.
"The advice was correct and specific to the circumstances and the risk at the time."
The meeting was held amid growing calls for a public inquiry into the blaze on Friday afternoon.
Those who have backed an inquiry include local MP Harriet Harman who described the testimonies at the meeting as "very, very distressing".
Reader views (4)
I don't think anybody needs to review a thing at present. The constant media dramatisation and finger pointing in light of the incident is unhelpful and in my opinion does not answer any questions in peoples minds whatsoever.
The media and public need to stop speculating the cause and the failings and wait for the LFEPA and Police to fully investigate the Lakanal fire and report the facts, not speculalte.
Based on previous fire service investigations including the Stevenage fire in Hertfordshire where 2 firefighters lost their lives, the investigation will be extremely in depth and leave no stone unturned regardless of blame or responsibility.
Don't be shocked about anything you have heard. Don't attempt to understand dynamic risk assessment or firefighting operations unless you are trained to do so. Do not be surprised by the height, number of staircases, defend in place fire strategy or the lack of a communal fire alarm system. Fires in this design of block have been successfully tackled by brigades accross the UK for over 50 years.
This fire is a sad, shocking and freak occurrence which has shocked fire safety professionals and fire services up and down the UK. A fire of this significance is due to a multitude of failings, none of which we are fully aware of yet.
- Tom Gilbert, UK, 08/07/2009 13:50
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Marcos - I understand your point and agree. Whilst I accept this is standard policy on fighting fires in high rise blocks I am pleased that people were brave enough to risk assess this for themselves in time to escape. This policy needs a review as does the decision made in this isntance as the rapidly changing fire circumstances did not take into account that standard policy is not clearly always the best route to take. I get the feeling that the Execs at LFB will counter any criticism as in the past in other cases such as when the two firefighters in Bethnal Green lost their lives a few years ago, with poor instruction, mistakes made and defective or ineffective comms equip. Any public enquiry will not give the public the detail it requires, probably just the results. Freedom of information act - whats does that exactly mean again? anyone?
- Lucy, Leigh, 08/07/2009 13:00
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I'm shocked to hear that firefighters told a mother with two children to go back to a tower block being consumed by fire. I would expect the first priority to be getting all people out of the building and, even though Mr. Dobson says this was done based on a risk assessment, this was clearly a bad call.
Firefighters needed access to the building and the building had only one staicase, that's understantable, but denying a mother the opportunity of leaving to safety with two children and trapping they back in to the fire instead, is unnacceptable.
- Marcos, Woking, Surrey, 07/07/2009 23:07
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There needs to be a public inquiry about this fire and how it was fought. We don't need anything about general problems, that would only sweep it under the carpet.On the basis of this story it borders on criminal negligence. News of this fire went worldwide and it reeks of fiddling while Rome burns, a sad reflection on this City.
- Jack Spratt, Richmond, Surrey, 07/07/2009 11:04
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