Queen Elizabeth pays tribute to fire victims

16 June 2017

Queen Elizabeth is sending her "thoughts and prayers" to those affected by the fire which tore apart Grenfell Tower in London earlier this week.

Queen Elizabeth

The 27-storey block of flats was engulfed in a devastating blaze which left at least 17 dead, over 70 hospitalised and dozens of residents missing on Wednesday (14.06.17) after a faulty fridge exploded inside the building, and now the 91-year-old monarch has released a statement paying tribute to those involved.

She said in her statement: "My thoughts and prayers are with those families who have lost loved ones in the Grenfell Tower fire and the many people who are still critically ill in hospital.

"Prince Philip and I would like to pay tribute to the bravery of firefighters and other emergency services officers who put their own lives at risk to save others.

"It is also heartening to see the incredible generosity of community volunteers rallying to help those affected by this terrible event."

On Thursday (15.06.17) London Fire Brigade announced the tragic news that no more survivors are expected to be found inside the wreckage of the building, and Commissioner Dany Cotton expects the death toll to rise.

She said: "Sadly we do anticipate the death toll will rise - we haven't done our searches of the top floors yet."

Meanwhile, music mogul Simon Cowell took to Twitter to announce plans to release a song to raise money for the victims of the blaze.

He tweeted: "I am watching the footage of the Grenfell Tower fire in London. Heartbreaking.

"We hope to confirm a record tomorrow which will raise some money for the many people affected by this tragedy. Making calls tonight."

Though it is unclear which artists Simon will be approaching to appear on the record, his label Syco is home to the likes of Little Mix, Louis Tomlinson, Camila Cabello, Labrinth, James Arthur, and Noah Cyrus.

And so far, celebrities including Adele, Lily Allen, Paloma Faith, and Rita Ora have been doing all they can to support the victims and their families.