Cyanide poisoning and the death of an unborn baby: The continuing toll of Grenfell Tower
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A 12-year-old survivor of the Grenfell Tower blaze has been diagnosed with cyanide poisoning which may have been released by burning of insulation or plastics during the fire.
And, in the same family, the mother of an unborn child who died because of cyanide poisoning has accused officials who installed cheap cladding of killing her son.
Meanwhile, the new leader of Kensington and Chelsea Borough Council has admitted Theresa May’s promise to house the Grenfell survivors in the borough is a lie.
The Tory-led authorities have been betraying the people of Grenfell left, right and centre. Can nobody force them to do the right thing?
Here’s the BBC on the experiences of the Gomes family:
At least one survivor of the Grenfell Tower fire was diagnosed with cyanide poisoning, BBC Newsnight has learned.
Medical discharge papers show 12-year-old Luana Gomes was treated for the effects of the highly toxic gas, which may have been released by burning of insulation or plastics during the fire.
Her sister and mother were also treated for risk of cyanide poisoning.
Mrs Gomes was seven months pregnant at the time of the blaze. Her unborn baby died after the fire.
Mrs Andreia Gomes told BBC Newsnight she felt deep anger towards officials responsible for allowing cheaper cladding to be placed on the tower, which was less fire-retardant:
TONIGHT: "You killed my son." The mother who was seven months pregnant and lost her baby in Grenfell Tower pic.twitter.com/3fttgblSWH
— BBC Newsnight (@BBCNewsnight) July 12, 2017
Meanwhile, despite promises from the prime minister that the Grenfell survivors would be rehoused in their home community, the new leader of Kensington and Chelsea Borough Council has admitted that this won’t happen. Here’s Cllr Elizabeth Campbell:
Tory Council refuse to guarantee Grenfell Victims will be rehoused in the area. A broken promise by Theresa May. pic.twitter.com/uzJ1PvDX8e
— Tory Fibs (@ToryFibs) July 12, 2017
In fact, victims of the blaze have been offered homes in Northumberland – fuelling concerns that the blaze supports the “gentrification” of the borough.
And the public mood about the actions of the authorities – at all levels – both before the blaze and after has not softened. The Guardian published an article about it today (July 14), stating:
“Grenfell, the building set on fire with the help of its own face, is a scene of a complex injustice, one that is moral, economic, political and aesthetic. Not only was the cladding unsafe, it was ugly; not only was it ugly, it was untrue both to the architecture of the building it covered and untrue to its responsibility to human safety. Which is why the feelings this tragedy inspires run very deep. Together with anger and disbelief, there is that strange private sense of collusion, of shame, as though without fully understanding how it happened, we had all played a part in this, that Grenfell is the dark fruit of our time and discourse, of how we have organised ourselves.”
Justice is being kicked into the long grass and we are all being betrayed again.
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and what about the nearby residents, people downwind of the blaze,Firefighters Ambulance Crew and Police are they being checked for Cyanide poisoning?.
Did we honestly expect anything different? i was rather sceptic of it happening.
Well with not knowing exactly what substances were released by the fire, I don’t claim to be a chemist, we know that at least some would be, it remains to be seen exactly what and what other problems have been created by breathing in the fumes.
Burning polyurethanes will evolve copious quantities of hydrogen cyanide gas (HCN). Soft furnishing (especially sofas) contain quantities of polyurethane foam. Rigid polyurethane foam is used to insulate fridges and freezers. I stand to be corrected but I understand the Celotex insulation used under the outer cladding of the Grenfell Tower contains polyurethane.
Where’s the option to subscribe on the mobile site?
It’s towards the bottom of the page, beneath the comments.
I know.
There’s nothing I can do – WordPress is responsible for the mobile ‘optimisation’.
and what about asbestos? are these buildings old enough to have had that used in their building? i know my bungalow was built in 1952 and has some on the underside of the bit of roof that overhangs along the side where my outer door is/ been told its inert and will only be a problem if disturbed.( wool over eyes?i wonder. ) i dont recall any construction dates being mentioned in anything ive read. maybe someonec else will know.
PLasics give off cyanide. Ever smelled the odor given off by newly opened black plastic bag? WHenever I go to Mand S, Smiths or similar stores I come away with headache and stinging eyes. Burning plastics are highly toxic. This has been known for years.