logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2024
16m 52s

Grenfell: Building a Disaster - Ep 9: St...

BBC Radio
About this episode

On the top floor of Grenfell Tower, Marcio Gomes and his family are waiting. Outside, the fire has wrapped itself around 3 sides of the building. But Marcio can’t see any of this. He’s relying on the information given to him by 999 call handlers, and they are telling residents they are safest to remain where they are. Marcio has a decision to make: does he wait for firefighters to reach him, or does he take his pregnant wife and daughters into the black void of suffocating smoke that has gathered in front of his door.

In this episode, Kate tells the story of the final hours of the fire - of Rania Ibrahim and her daughters and Marcio Gomes and his family.

Presenter: Kate Lamble Producer: Josephine Casserly Production coordinator: Janet Staples Audio engineers: James Beard and Gareth Jones Story consultant: Simon Maybin Editor: Penny Murphy

Up next
Sep 2024
204 The Phase 2 Report and the End of the Inquiry
The Inquiry’s Phase 2 report was released this week, distilling 400 days of evidence and more than three hundred thousand documents. The report concluded the fire which killed 72 people was the culmination of “decades of failure” by government and others in the construction indus ... Show More
44m 45s
Sep 2024
Grenfell: Building a Disaster - Episode 0
In the early hours of the 14th of June 2017, a fire broke out in a tower block in West London. This fire was both a personal tragedy and a national scandal.It began in Flat 16 of Grenfell Tower. Before long, the flames reached combustible cladding and insulation, which had been i ... Show More
2m 30s
Sep 2024
Grenfell: Building a Disaster - Ep 10: The Final Act
As the sun rises, the local council, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea are responsible for helping families try and find their loved ones and arranging accommodation for those who have just escaped Grenfell Tower.But as the situation spirals out of control, lost keys, “ ... Show More
15m 46s
Recommended Episodes
May 2022
Escape plan
Disabled people who live in high-rise flats reveal to Access All their fear of not being able to escape from a fire after the government turns down mandatory evacuation plans that were recommended by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. Joe Kimber says "the fear of being cremated alive is ... Show More
33m 50s
Apr 2023
Newmarket fire: Residents return but power, water still out
Two days after a massive blaze brought Auckland's Newmarket to a standstill and caused millions of dollars worth of damage - residents and businesses are still in the dark. CCTV footage shows a group of youths near where the fire started in the basement of an appartment block, an ... Show More
4m 8s
Aug 2024
From the archive: The Grenfell fire (Pt 2): The cladding scandal
The Public Inquiry into the fire at Grenfell Tower will publish its final report on Wednesday. Ahead of its findings, we're re-visiting a two-part series that looked into the failings that lead to the tragedy - and the stories of the families who lived in the tower.This podcast w ... Show More
44m 44s
Jan 2025
After the fires
The fires in Los Angeles are almost out. Residents are starting to trickle back into their burned-out neighborhoods. When they get to their houses, they face a series of almost impossible questions: Do we want to live here amongst all this destruction? And if we do, how do we eve ... Show More
25m 25s
Oct 2022
Wildfire in Paradise | Engulfed | 3
As the fire rages and traffic on the main roads out of Paradise comes to a standstill, firefighters realize evacuation is no longer a viable option. First responders race to locate places of refuge within the town, where trapped civilians and other firefighters can wait out the f ... Show More
43m 55s
Mar 2022
The Grenfell Tower Fire Pt. 1
After a deadly residential fire in London broke out on the 4th floor of a concrete highrise, 71 people died. Survivors and loved ones were left asking: How did the fire spread so quickly — when it never should have spread beyond the 4th floor at all? Learn more about your ad choi ... Show More
40m 6s
Nov 2023
Acceptance: Episode 364
It was 11.57pm  when the emergency services were called to a house fire in Woking, Surrey. The call was made by a panicking and distressed Alan Jermey. On the call to the fire service, Alan confirmed he was on the roof of the house with his two young daughters, “I'm upstairs, the ... Show More
23m 1s
Mar 2021
Lacombe: The Fire | Ep. 1
A house fire breaks out in the woods, and the wife of a local fire chief is nowhere to be found. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoice ... Show More
46m 14s