When buildings burn, from London to Dhaka
by Rebecca Prentice
There is for me a sad familiarity in the story of the Grenfell Tower fire. I have spent recent years researching garment factory fires and collapses in Bangladesh. Large-scale fires, no matter where they are, have a recursive quality to them. There is always the story of the spark that begins it, and the moment when the blaze gets out of control. There is always the story of breathtaking heroism by individuals trying to save others. There is always the story of anguish and loss in the aftermath, and demands for accountability and justice on the part of grieving families and communities.
And then, sometime later, there is always the story—the backstory—of official neglect, the lack of regulations or unenforced regulations, the unanswered demands for sprinkler systems, the anger over poorly-functioning alarms or blocked exits. The story of how advocates for safety were silenced…
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