Final toll shows 71 lives lost in Grenfell Tower fire

Last updated: November 16, 2017 at 13:54 pm

Seventy people and a stillborn baby make up the final death toll in the Grenfell Tower fire, UK police have confirmed.

All those who died in the blaze in west London five months ago have been recovered and identified, the Metropolitan Police believe.

A baby, Logan Gomes, who was stillborn, has been recorded as a victim of the fire.

The death toll was initially feared to be much higher as the Met handled thousands of calls from people who believed they knew someone who had been trapped in the tower.

One person was reported missing 46 times, while others were reported under different names and even slight differences of spellings of names had to be investigated.

There were also a number of false claims and eight people have been charged or are under investigation for fraud in connection with the disaster.

Commander Stuart Cundy said: "The human cost and terrible reality of what took place at Grenfell Tower affects so many people.

"Our search operation and ongoing investigation is about those people. Tragically, that night, 70 children and adults died and a baby was stillborn.

"My thoughts and those of all my colleagues in the Met Police are with all those who lost their loved ones, those who survived, the local community and all those who live with this tragedy every day."

In the immediate aftermath of the blaze, 400 people were listed as missing.

Police said footage showed 223 people escaping the fire, while others were not at home on the night of 14 June.