German building evacuated due to fears of London-style cladding

An 11-story apartment building in western Germany's Wuppertal city was evacuated after officials confirmed that the structure had cladding panels similar to those at London's Grenfell Tower, where 79 people died in a fire.

Residents of the 30-m (nearly 100-foot) tower will be allowed to return home once the cladding, which is used to provide insulation and protect buildings against the elements, is removed, city officials said on Tuesday.

Officials began inspecting buildings following the Grenfell Tower fire and decided to evacuate this property, Efe news reported.

The apartment building, located in Wuppertal's Langerfeld district, is home to 72 people.

Residents were allowed to pack one suitcase containing personal items, city officials said. The tower's residents are being provided with temporary housing by the city.

A faulty refrigerator is being blamed for the June 14 blaze at Grenfell Tower, but investigators concluded that the insulation panels caused the fire to spread rapidly, trapping large numbers of sleeping residents in their apartments.

--IANS

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