London high-rise fire caused by faulty freezer; manslaughter charges being considered

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Faulty freezer blamed for London tower fire

Companies involved in buildings construction facing manslaughter charges

Manslaughter charges are being considered in the deadly London fire that was started due to a faulty freezer, killing at least 79 people last week, British police said Friday.

Prime Minister Theresa May's office ordered an immediate examination of refrigerator model that sparked the deadly fire. The fridge, a Hotpoint FF175BP fridge-freezer, had not been subject to any product recall, Detective Superintendent Fiona McCormack said.

McCormack also said tests showed insulation and tiles recovered from Grenfell Tower in west London failed fire safety tests. Officials have seized documents in the investigation into the fire to look into "every health and safety and fire safety offense."

Clothing is laid out on the pavement near a tower block severely damaged by a serious fire, in north Kensington, West London, Britain June 14, 2017. REUTERS/Neil Hall - RTS171F5

"We are reviewing every company at the moment involved in the building and refurbishment of Grenfell Tower," McCormack told reporters.

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"What we are being told at the moment by the Building Research Establishment is that the cladding and insulation failed all safety tests," McCormack added.

The 24-story building was engulfed in flames in less than an hour on June 14. More than 200 firefighters worked to contain the blaze and save residents trapped the inside. Between 400 to 600 people were said to be living in Grenfell Tower. London police said every "complete body" has been removed from the site.

Flames and smoke billow as firefighters deal with a serious fire in a tower block at Latimer Road in West London, Britain June 14, 2017. REUTERS/Toby Melville - RTS16YX2

Tests discovered at least 11 high-rise apartment buildings in England have combustible external panels similar to Grenfell Tower, Prime Minister Theresa May's office said. About 600 buildings in the country have "similar cladding," but the number refers to ones that have all types of cladding.

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The buildings with combustible cladding would not be identified until landlords inform the tenants, the Department for Communities and Local Government said.

May encouraged the owners of both public and private tower blocks around the country to quickly forward samples of any similar material for testing. The government will work with local authorities to make sure any dangerous material is removed and residents are safe, she said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.