Adele visits tower fire survivors as fellow celebs join UK-wide relief effort
Adele hugged and comforted survivors of the blaze in a late-night appearance. Photo: Instagram
Adele has made a low-key visit to the Grenfell Tower, hugging and comforting survivors of the London fire tragedy, as locals rally to help survivors.
The popstar attended a vigil on Wednesday night (UK time) at the charred remains of the social housing tower block which was gutted by a massive fire just 24-hours earlier.
At least 17 people have been confirmed dead, with the death toll expected to rise after witnesses reported seeing residents jumping from the 24-storey tower.
Thirty-seven residents are in hospital, 17 of them critical.
Scores remain missing, presumed dead, although officials have been guarded in venturing any firm estimates on what the final toll might be.
Adele and husband Simon Konecki offered help to those at the scene on Wednesday night.
A fan account wrote on Twitter: “Adele was going around and hugging everyone she could to comfort them.”
The London apartment block engulfed in flames in the early on Wednesday. Photo: Getty
Other celebrities have come to rally behind the survivors and mourn those lost, hearing stories of loss and survival.
One woman on the tenth floor is said to have bundled her infant in cloths and thrown the child to people below. The baby was caught and survived, but the mother has not been found.
UK popstar Rita Ora came to the site on Wednesday to help out, saying that she had played in and around Grenfell Tower as a child. She and her family had fled Kosovo as refugees and lived in a flat nearby.
“This is my neighbourhood, I can’t believe this is happening,” Ora wrote on Instagram.
“My prayers are with everybody involved, my heart is beating so fast. I used to play in that block — I want to do all I can do to help.”
Respect your youngsters 💕 #GrenfellTower #LondonFire #LatimerRoad #GrenfellTowerFire pic.twitter.com/g3vSjighJ7
— Max Black (@MaxineABlack) June 14, 2017
Women donate clothes to a stall set up to help the homeless residents. Photo: Getty
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver offered victims free meals at his upmarket restaurant around the corner from the tragedy in North Kensington.
“To any of the 100s of families affected by this terrible fire at Grenfell Tower Notting Hill today, you are all welcome to come hang out in my restaurant and be fed and watered by my Jamie’s Italian team,” Oliver wrote on Instagram.
“We are in the Westfield just around the corner. Food and drink free of charge so just go and speak to my manager Juan and we will sort you out and give you some love … this is for victims of the fire. Our thoughts, love and prayers are with you all. Big love, Jamie x x x x.”
Londoners have rallied together to house survivors and donate clothes, food and toiletries after residents lost everything to the blaze.
Young locals could be seen forming a human chain, passing bags of donations after hundreds of people turned out to help.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVUL-xdg4R0/?taken-by=ritaora&hl=en
Joe Walsh, who runs the Maxilla Social Club, said volunteers had been on hand collecting donations, making cups of tea and been available for a chat since 2am (11am AEST) Thursday.
He said they included youngsters who stopped to go and sit A-level exams before rushing back to help.
Mr Walsh said: “We have been here since 2am and we will probably be here all night.
“We have accepted food and clothing. The only thing we are not accepting is cash. We are sending them to the Christian centre for that.
“It has been the community who did all this.
A man sorts donated clothes near the social housing block after it burnt down on Wednesday. Photo: Getty
A man donates bottles of water to a stall to help survivors of the tragedy. Photo: Getty
“I am only surprised by how much the community have helped, but the community have always been good around here.”
After the night that shocked London and the world, volunteers turned up to collect, fold, bag and label donations for hours on a hot London summer day.
The donations are being sent to a storage centre in nearby White City and from there to various charities to avoid waste and to try to get them to where they are needed.
Mr Walsh said some people have obviously just gone to the shopping centre and bought new pillows and blankets along with nappies, clothes, food and milk.
Churches, mosques and Sikh temples opened their doors to shelter those affected.
Several crowdfunding campaigns have been launched to raise money for survivors.
Brisk business being down in Tabernacle Christian Centre where donations gratefully received pic.twitter.com/xZyGBB8ljx
— Lisa O'Carroll (@lisaocarroll) June 14, 2017
Sikh Gurudwaras in London have started collecting and distributing spare clothes, toys, toiletries for #GrenfellTower evacuees! #Share pic.twitter.com/TT1cTWZXRp
— Harjinder Singh Kukreja (@SinghLions) June 14, 2017
