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US firm stops sales of Grenfell Tower cladding for high-rises

The June 14 inferno at Grenfell Tower, a residential block in west London, left 79 people presumed dead after the fire spread rapidly up its 24 storeys

The US supplier of the cladding which encased London's Grenfell Tower before it was destroyed by a devastating fire announced Monday it was stopping sales of the material for high-rise buildings. "Arconic is discontinuing global sales of Reynobond PE for use in high-rise applications," a company spokesman told AFP. The firm put the decision down to "issues that have arisen in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy" and differences in building regulations around the world. The June 14 inferno left 79 people presumed dead after the fire spread rapidly up the 24-storey residential block in west London. As emergency services continue to search through the ashes of the gutted building, suspicion has fallen on the recently installed cladding with allegations it may have contributed to the ferocity of the blaze. The Arconic spokesman said the company "will continue to fully support the authorities as they investigate this tragedy". Sales of the Reynobond PE cladding for use in low-rise buildings will continue. An estimated 600 tower blocks in England believed to have similar cladding to that used at Grenfell are currently going through tests. Samples taken from 75 high-rises tested so far have all failed safety tests, communities minister Sajid Javid said on Monday. "We have witnessed a catastrophic failure," he told MPs, lamenting the slow speed at which samples were being submitted for tests. Buildings which have already undergone safety checks include four tower blocks in north London which were evacuated on Saturday, with Javid saying inspectors discovered 1,000 fire doors were missing. The minister also warned unsafe cladding "may not be a problem unique to social housing or tall buildings". All hospitals have been asked to conduct additional checks and 15 government buildings "require further investigation", he said without giving further details. - Child identified by teeth - As work continues to prevent a repeat of the Grenfell Tower blaze, a London coroner's court heard how a five-year-old victim choked to death on fumes as he tried to escape. The boy had to be identified by dental records after his body was found on the 13th floor, five levels lower than his home as he family tried to flee. "It can't really be explained in enough detail how complex an investigation this is in terms of identification and in terms of recovery of bodies on a dangerous site that my team are not allowed to enter because the building is being shored up," Westminster coroner Fiona Wilcox told the court. So far 18 people have been identified including Khadija Saye, a 24-year-old photographer who had exhibited at the Venice Biennale and lived on the 20th floor. Saye was discovered on a hallway in the ninth floor and is believed to have died from fumes and burns. Her mother Mary Mendy, 52, was identified by dental records after being found on the 13th storey. Her sister Betty Jackson said she will "be missed for a lifetime". "My beloved sister, words can never describe the pain of losing you. I can't believe you are gone," she said in a statement published through London's Metropolitan Police.