An angry crowd has confronted Sadiq Khan on the scene of the Grenfell Tower disaster, demanding answers and urging that the community cannot wait a year for an independent inquiry.

The London Mayor was repeatedly interrupted by frustrated residents as he spoke on live TV on the site of the burnt out building, where at least 17 people died and scores were injured when a fierce blaze ripped through it in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

He began the press conference by saying: “Understandably, residents are very angry and concerned and have genuine questions that demand answers,” but a resident chimed in, saying: “Someone needs to be held accountable. These deaths could have been prevented.”

Mr Khan later commended the local response to the atrocity, before the same female resident chimed in again, saying: “But you can’t say the same for the authorities. We've seen nobody.”

The Mayor then said: “As you can see the residents are, understandably, very angry.”

He welcomed Prime Minister Theresa May's call for a public enquiry, but said the Government must go further by producing an interim response and an inquest this summer.

“While I welcome the call from the Prime Minister for an independent public enquiry, we need answers now, and that’s why I’m calling on the judge who conducts the enquiry to make sure there’s an interim response this summer," he said.

“We cannot afford to wait for a number of years, either for the enquiry or for the inquest, and that’s why it’s important that there’s a response this summer."

The resident interjected again as he made the announcement, emphasising the urgency, saying: “Now. Not a year from now, not two years from now. We need it now.”

When given the chance to ask a direct question, the woman demanded to know whether residents would be re-housed in the area, to which the Mayor responded: “That’s one of the things I’ve asked of the council.

"And one of the things the Government has reassured me is that anyone local who needs to be re-housed will be re-housed locally.”

As Mr Khan urged that checks must be undertaken on all apartment blocks, another resident shouted: “Jeremy Corbyn’s been saying that for ages. Why didn’t you support him Mr Khan? Why didn’t you support Mr Corbyn Mr Khan?”

Grenfell tower fire Show all 42 1 /42 Grenfell tower fire Grenfell tower fire Local residents watch as Grenfell Tower is engulfed by fire Getty Images Grenfell tower fire London Fire Brigade said there has been a number of fatalities from the blaze Rex Features Grenfell tower fire The fire was first reported in the early hours of Wednesday and continued into the morning Rex Features Grenfell tower fire A local resident sees the fire over the rooftops @Ebajgora Grenfell tower fire A firefighter reacts at the scene of the blaze Getty Images Grenfell tower fire Residents watch as the blaze continues Getty Images Grenfell tower fire More than 200 firefighters have been fighting the blaze PA Grenfell tower fire London Mayor Sadiq Khan has declared the fire a major incident Getty Images Grenfell tower fire Police and fire services attempted to evacuate the concrete block of flats Getty Images Grenfell tower fire A woman runs to assist paramedics working at the fire at the Grenfell Tower Getty Images Grenfell tower fire Smoke rises from the building after a huge fire engulfed the 24 story Grenfell Tower in Latimer Road, West London in the early hours of Wednesday morning Getty Images Grenfell tower fire Fire fighters tackle the 24-storey building in West London Getty Images Grenfell tower fire Ambulances are stationed nearby Getty Images Grenfell tower fire Paramedics arrive with oxygen Getty Images Grenfell tower fire Emergency services believe it will take some time to establish the cause of the fire Grenfell tower fire Tens of people have been taken to five different hospitals across London Getty Images Grenfell tower fire A man comforts a boy after the tower block was severely damaged Reuters Grenfell tower fire Firefighters stand amid debris in a childrens playground nearby Reuters Grenfell tower fire Firefighters are stationed at the building Getty Images Grenfell tower fire Smoke engulfs Grenfell tower Rex Features Grenfell tower fire Lots of people donating water, food and clothing to St Clement's church for the residents of Grenfell Tower in Latimer Road Samuel Osborne Grenfell tower fire A man speaks to a fire fighter after a huge fire engulfed the 24 story Grenfell Tower in Latimer Road, West London Getty Images Grenfell tower fire According to the London Fire Brigade (LFB), 40 fire engines and 200 firefighters are working to put out the blaze. Residents in the tower were evacuated and a number of people were treated for a range of injuries EPA Grenfell tower fire A resident of Grenfell Tower is trapped as smoke billows from the window after a fire engulfed the building Getty Images Grenfell tower fire Members of the emergency services work at the scene of a huge blaze which engulfed Grenfell Tower, a residential tower block in Latimer Road Getty Images Grenfell tower fire According to the London Fire Brigade (LFB), 40 fire engines and 200 firefighters are working to put out the blaze EPA Grenfell tower fire Fire fighters tackle the building after a huge fire engulfed the 24 story Grenfell Tower in Latimer Road, West London Getty Images Grenfell tower fire The burnt facade of Grenfell Tower, the night after the fire in Latimer Road, West London REUTERS/Neil Hall Grenfell tower fire Local residents gather at a community centre near Grenfell Tower in Latimer Road REUTERS/Toby Melville Grenfell tower fire A resident in a nearby building watches smoke rise from Grenfell Tower in Latimer Road, West London AP Grenfell tower fire Police and rescue services operate near the fire at Grenfell Tower, a 24-storey apartment block in Latimer Road EPA Grenfell tower fire A man stands amid debris on the A40 after a serious fire in a tower block at Latimer Road in West London REUTERS/Toby Melville Grenfell tower fire A view of the empty A40 highway after it was closed in both directions, due to the proximity of the fire at Grenfell Tower block in Latimer Road EPA Grenfell tower fire Smoke rises from the building after a huge fire engulfed the 24 storey residential Grenfell Tower block in Latimer Road, West London Getty Images Grenfell tower fire Bodies are removed from the scene after a fire engulfed the 24-storey Grenfell Tower in west London Rick Findler/PA Wire Grenfell tower fire Bodies are removed from the scene after a fire engulfed the 24-storey Grenfell Tower in west London Rick Findler/PA Wire Grenfell tower fire Provisions on tables at the Westway Sports Centre close to the scene after a fire engulfed the 24-storey Grenfell Tower in west London Jack Hardy/PA Grenfell tower fire Beds are laid out in the Westway Sports Centre close to the scene after a fire engulfed the 24-storey Grenfell Tower in west London Jack Hardy/PA Wire Grenfell tower fire A pile of donated clothes, sleeping bags and water lie next to a police cordon near the burning the 24 storey residential Grenfell Tower block in Latimer Road, West London Getty Images Grenfell tower fire Signs asking for donations are seen outside the Notting Hill methodist Chruch Getty Images Grenfell tower fire Smoke rises from the building after a huge fire engulfed the 24 storey residential Grenfell Tower block in Latimer Road, West London Getty Images Grenfell tower fire A man is rescued by fire fighters after a huge fire engulfed the 24 storey residential Grenfell Tower block in Latimer Road, West London Getty

After being confronted by angry residents, the Mayor told reporters he shared their desire for answers, saying: "Many are angry and heartbroken after losing loved ones. They are justifiably angry and I share their anger."

The blaze that ripped through Grenfell Tower on Wednesday morning is confirmed to have killed at least 17 people, but the number is expected to rise "considerably".