LONDON—A fire that killed at least 79 people at a London apartment block started in a Hotpoint fridge freezer, and the outside cladding engulfed by the blaze has since been shown to fail all safety tests, London police said on Friday.
Detective Superintendent Fiona McCormack said that in view of the heavy death toll, police were considering manslaughter charges over the disaster.
She said the Hotpoint model, FF175BP, involved was not subject to recall and the manufacturer was doing further tests.
“We now have expert evidence that the fire was not started deliberately,” McCormack told reporters in London.
Extensive damage is seen to the Grenfell Tower block which was destroyed in a disastrous fire, in north Kensington, West London, Britain June 16, 2017. Reuters/Hannah McKay
