British Police Consider Manslaughter Charges Over Deadly High-Rise Fire
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LONDON, ENGLAND (CBSMiami) -- British police are considering manslaughter charges over the deadly high-rise apartment building fire last week.
Investigators revealed a faulty appliance started the blaze and both the building's insulation and tiles failed safety tests.
Investigators said a faulty fridge freezer sparked the London apartment fire that killed at least 79 people and they've ordered an immediate examination of the model.
"We know this fire wasn't started deliberately and we know the fridge-freezer in this matter has never been the subject of a product recall before," said Detective Fiona McCormack with Metropolitan Police.
Investigators also said the building's insulation and tiles didn't pass safety tests for combustibility.
British authorities are aware of 11 of buildings clad with the same materials.
The siding is known as aluminum composite material or ACM. It encases a polyethylene core that is flammable.
Fire tests have shown extreme heat can melt the siding allowing fire to ignite the core, spreading flames quickly. The material is banned in the U.S. and parts of Europe on any building over 40 feet that firefighters cannot reach with ladders, but not in the United Kingdom.
When Prime Minister Theresa May returned to the burnt out building, residents booed the prime minister over the government's handling of the blaze. She's called for a full review which could take weeks.
"We can test over 100 buildings a day and the results can come within hours. I urge landlords to send samples for testing as soon as possible," said May.
Police also say documents and materials had been seized from a number of organizations, as they decide whether to file criminal charges.
The search for bodies could take until the end of the year and investigators fear they may never find everyone who died in the fire.