Grenfell Tower fire: Stillborn baby recorded among victims as police confirm final death toll as 71

Mother and daughter become last victims to be formally identified as criminal investigation continues

The number of people killed by the Grenfell fire has been confirmed at 71 after months of forensic investigations inside the tower.

A stillborn baby, Logan Gomes, was recorded among the victims as a separate criminal investigation continues into responsibility for the blaze.

The coroner confirmed the identities of the last two victims – Victoria King, 71, and her daughter Alexandra Atala, 40 – on Wednesday and police said they believe all those who died in the disaster have now been recovered and named.

Commander Stuart Cundy said: “I have been clear from the start that a priority for us was recovering all those who died, and identifying and returning them to their families.

“I cannot imagine the agony and uncertainty that some families and loved ones have been through whilst we have carried out our meticulous search, recovery and identification process.

“It is vital that our search and identification operation was undertaken in a manner that families and loved ones could have complete confidence in. We continue to provide every support we can to those bereaved.”

Some feared the death toll to be far higher in the aftermath of the fire, which spread rapidly from a fourth floor flat up combustible cladding in the early hours of 14 June.

Diane Abbott, the Shadow Home Secretary, was heavily criticised for claiming the number of victims “will be in triple figures” during tensions between local residents, authorities and the emergency services.

Police handled thousands of calls from people who believed they knew someone who had been trapped in the tower, causing an initial list of 400 people reported missing.

Some people were reported several times – 46 in one case – and others were reported under different names or varied spellings that were separately investigated.

There were also a number of false claims, and eight people have been charged or are under investigation for fraud in connection with the disaster.

Earlier this month, Anh Nhu Nguyen admitted two counts of fraud after claiming his wife and son died in the blaze in efforts to pocket £12,500 intended to help victims.

There were additional concerns that some people inside the tower were not recorded as residents, either because of informal tenancies or a lack of documentation, sparking the Government to announce an immigration amnesty to encourage people to come forward.

Detectives also used CCTV and police body-worn video to identify everyone captured on film escaping Grenfell Tower after the fire started just before 1am, showing 223 escaped and survived. Investigations have concluded that 293 people were inside the block when the fire broke out, with a number of residents away from home and some Muslim residents who were observing Ramadan awake and able to alert their neighbours.

Searches inside the tower are not expected to conclude until early December but the Metropolitan Police said it was “highly unlikely” any unidentified victims remain.

Mr Cundy said specialist teams inside Grenfell Tower and the mortuary had “pushed the boundaries of what was scientifically possible” to identify victims – a task he feared could be impossible after visiting the scene.

“They have done that for every person who lost their life, their families and loved ones, and all those for whom Grenfell Tower was home,” he added.

Specially trained officers from the Met, City of London Police and British Transport Police have been “thoroughly and meticulously” searching every flat and communal area.

Officers conducted a full fingertip search, examining 15.5 tonnes of debris on each floor supported by forensic anthropologists, archaeologists and odontologists.

Dr Fiona Wilcox, senior coroner for Westminster, is due to open and adjourn the final planned inquests on Wednesday.

Relatives of Ms King and her daughter Ms Atala said they died “at each other’s side”.

Victoria King died aged 71 alongside her daughter in the Grenfell Tower fire (Metropolitan Police)

“Some comfort can come from the knowledge that she and Alexandra were devoted to one another and spent so many mutually supportive years together,” a statement said.

“They died at each other’s side and now they can rest together in peace. We will remember them always.”

Police are continuing a separate criminal investigation into the fire, which may consider individual as well as corporate manslaughter charges.

A public inquiry, led by retired Court of Appeal judge Sir Martin Moore-Bick, is looking at events on the night of the fire, how and why the block came to be wrapped in flammable cladding and insulation.

It will also examine the response by Kensington and Chelsea Council and central government, while procedural hearings will take place on 11 and 12 December.

“The human cost and terrible reality of what took place at Grenfell Tower affects so many people,” Mr Cundy said.

“My thoughts, and those of all my colleagues in the Met Police, are with all those who lost their loved ones, those who survived, the local community and all those who live with this tragedy every day.

“Our criminal investigation is continuing, and we are determined to do all we can to find the answers that so many people so desperately want.”