At least 58 people may have died in the massive fire that engulfed a 24-storey residential tower housing over 100 families in west London, police said today, warning that the number “may increase“.

The latest figure included the 30 already confirmed to have died in the devastating fire on Wednesday.

Commander Stuart Cundy, of the Metropolitan Police, said that number “may increase” and that the “significant” recovery operation is likely to take weeks.

“As soon as we can, we will locate and recover loved ones,” he added.

Cundy had earlier expressed fear that all the victims of the massive fire that engulfed the Grenfell Tower in west London may never be identified as there was growing anger over the failure of authorities to ensure the fire safety of the residential block.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has ordered a judge-led full public inquiry into the incident.

Newly-appointed Indian-origin housing minister in the Department for Communities and Local Government, Alok Sharma, said, “Every single family will be rehoused in the local area“.

The local Grenfell Action Group had claimed, before and during a major 10-million-pound refurbishment of Grenfell Tower last year, that the block constituted a fire risk and residents had warned that access to the site for emergency vehicles was “severely restricted”.

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