600 English tower blocks thought to have Grenfell-style cladding

Six-hundred apartment blocks in England alone are believed to have the same cladding as Grenfell Tower, the government said Thursday, after the panels were widely blamed for the spread of a deadly fire there.

Emergency checks ordered by the government revealed that combustible cladding had so far been confirmed on three tower blocks in Britain as a whole, the government said.

Combustible cladding has been found in publicly-owned tower blocks in Britain following emergency checks after a devastating London fire.

"A number of these tests have come back as combustible," May said in a statement to parliament after ordering checks on all similar blocks.

"We cannot and will not ask people to live in unsafe homes," she said, adding that relevant local authorities and fire services had been informed but without specifying what action would be taken.

The cladding on the 24-storey Grenfell Tower block in London has been widely blamed for the quick spread of the flames in the 120-apartment building.

Seventy-nine people have been killed or are missing or presumed dead as a result of last Wednesday's fire.

The cladding was installed for beautification and insulation despite warnings from local residents about fire safety as part of a major refurbishment of Grenfell Tower that was completed last year.

May said "no stone will be left unturned" in a judge-led inquiry she has ordered into the blaze.

"I know many others living in tall residential buildings will have concerns about their safety after what happened at Grenfell.

"All social landlords have been instructed to carry out additional fire safety checks on tower blocks and ensure the appropriate safety and response measures are in place," she said.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was highly critical of the chaotic official response to the fire, for which May has apologized.

He urged the government to make funds available immediately so councils can "carry out immediate fire safety checks and install sprinklers."

"There is obviously a huge cost involved in removing and recladding blocks that are found to have flammable materials included in them," he said. — Agence France-Presse