
Bodies were brought out of Grenfell Tower today as rescue workers begin to scour the wrecked building to recover the dead.

The official death toll now stands at 30, although it is feared that number will rise significantly once workers have gone through the whole building.

Sky News reported that sources had told them 70 people are missing and feared dead.

More than 70 residents are still unaccounted for and fears are growing for the many still missing.

Rescue crews have reached the roof of the 24-storey building and recovered twelve bodies, but they are unable to enter flats on the upper floors until the building is made more stable.

The police chief in charge of the operation has warned that some victims may never be identified. It was confirmed today that one of those who was taken to hospital during the blaze has since died.

The official death toll rose as the Queen and the Duke of Cambridge met volunteers, local residents and community representatives at the nearby Westway Sports Centre this morning.

Under-fire Prime Minister Theresa May meanwhile visited the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital to meet victims, amid mounting criticism over her failure to comfort those affected on her private visit to the scene yesterday.

Investigators in orange suits were seen on the roof of the building today as they assess how stable the remaining structure is

Those in charge of the investigation have said it may take months to carry out a full search and recover all of the bodies

Workers in gas masks and hard hats were seen inside and on top of the building today as the investigation continued

Recovery workers with torches were seen inside the building today as they carry out the grim operation of looking for bodies

The police and fire and rescue workers on top of the buildings had apparently used gas masks to reach the roof

The huge effort is being put in by emergency service workers from around the capital following the terrible blaze

Two fire investigators were seen walking around the 27th floor of the burnt out building earlier today

This shocking image reveals just how much of the building was devastated by flames with the whole facade left completely charred

The interior of one of the flats shows a scene of utter devastation with furniture and white kitchen goods left in piles of rubble

These close up shots show windows blown out in the fire and a kitchen left in a charred and ruined condition

A spokesman London Fire Service said: 'Twenty firefighters and four fire engines, plus other specialist resources, have remained at the scene of the Grenfell Tower fire in North Kensington throughout the night.

'Crews have remained at the scene to monitor the stability of the building's structure, managing the inner cordon and damping down any remaining pockets of fire.

'Firefighters will remain at the scene throughout today.

'In addition, three Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) modules and 30 specialist USAR firefighters are working to make the block safe so our firefighters can continue to progress throughout the building, making a detailed search.'

The spokesman added: 'This search will be a slow and painstaking process which will require a large amount of shoring up work, especially on the upper floors which will be the most challenging for us to access and search.

'USAR officers will be working alongside the Metropolitan Police Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team and London Ambulance Service Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) to assist with recovering people from the building. '

Metropolitan Police commander Stuart Cundy has responded to speculation that the number of dead could exceed 100, saying: 'For those of us that have been down there, it's pretty emotional, so I hope it is not triple figures, but I can't be drawn on the numbers.'

A witness who watched the disaster unfold says she believes she saw at least 25 residents of the tower die in their flats as the flames rose around the building.

A spokesman London Fire Service said: 'Twenty firefighters and four fire engines, plus other specialist resources, have remained at the scene of the Grenfell Tower fire in North Kensington throughout the night'

The spokesman added: 'Crews have remained at the scene to monitor the stability of the building's structure, managing the inner cordon and damping down any remaining pockets of fire'

One fire investigator was seen wearing a white helmet, hi-vis jacket and gas mask as he inspected the building today

A London Underground train was seen passing the scene of the destroyed Grenfell Tower earlier today

This poignant photo shows a room on a lower floor which was quickly abandoned by its resident as the fire spread

Workers were visible through the windows of the charred tower block as the official death toll increased to 30 today

A large team of fire specialists were seen moving around on the lower floors of the huge high-rise this afternoon

The teams are moving around in very difficult conditions, inside a building which saw 1000C temperatures during the fire

Bodies have been removed from Grenfell Tower as rescue workers begin their operation to recover those who died in the fire

The bodies of those found nearer the bottom of the tower block have now been recovered and taken to a mortuary

Anne Johnson told the Daily Mirror: 'They were crying for help and writing 'help' on the windows. Two kids on the right-hand side on the corner were screaming. Nobody could get to them.'

Metropolitan Police commander Stuart Cundy said today: 'Our specialist investigators and experts have examined what we believe is the original location where the fire started. Based on what we know, there is nothing to suggest at this time that the fire was started deliberately.'

The latest figures from NHS England show that 24 people are still being treated in hospitals across London, of whom 12 remain in critical care.

Mr Cundy said today that everyone in hospital has now been identified and their families told where they are.

Fire crews again used water to damp down the charred building today as they began a third day of picking through the tower's charred remains.

Teams were forced to leave the building on Thursday afternoon when the fire restarted, delaying further the efforts to reach upper floors, where some victims are thought to have been trapped.

Pictures of the tower show the state of flats in the tower, with most reduced to ashes and people's belongings destroyed

Fire and rescue workers examine the burnt-out hulk of Grenfell Tower this morning as authorities plan how to inspect and recover bodies from the 24-storey block

It is believed many of those killed became trapped on the upper floors of the building as the fire spread upwards

Rescuers are now busy shoring up doorways, floors and walls in the fire-ravaged building to avoid any further loss of life

The managed walls, windows and rooms of the high-rise show the heat that was generated by the huge blaze this week

Debris litters the ground around the tower as fire and rescue crews attempt to make it safe to launch a recovery operation

Burned out materials rained down on children's play areas and communal grounds around the tower during the fire

A worker takes a break from the search. Fire chiefs have said moving through the building is a painstaking process

The fire-ravaged building stands over surrounding streets as the search goes on for those not seen since the blaze

Sniffer dogs and drones are being used to aid the difficult move through the building by inspectors.

Peter Vanezis, a professor of forensic medical sciences at Queen Mary University in London, said: 'When you have a fire that takes hold like that, that is literally an inferno.'

He said the temperature of the blaze at Grenfell Tower was comparable to a cremation.

'The longer a fire burns, the less chance you have that there will be enough DNA left to test,' Prof Vanezis said.

Vanezis said the best chance to identify victims may be if officials find any remaining bits of teeth or bone, which are usually the last parts of the body to be destroyed.

He said sophisticated techniques could be used to amplify the DNA, but noted such tests can only identify a person's family, not the individual.

Details are now known of what floor the missing people were living on when the fire took hold of the 24-storey building

Those made homeless by the fire will be rehoused in the area Kensington and Chelsea Council said 110 households had been given temporary accommodation by Friday morning, and added that it is working to find more permanent homes. But the authority's latest statement said: 'While we will try do our upmost (sic) to ensure those affected remain in or near the borough, given the number of households involved, it is possible the council will have to explore housing options that may become available in other parts of the capital.' The households include people living in nearby blocks which have been evacuated because of the disaster. Housing Minister Alok Sharma told MPs on Thursday that the Government guaranteed 'that every single family' from the Tower will be rehoused in the local area. Advertisement

The streets around the high rise block in north Kensington are plastered with posters begging for information about those who were in the building.

More appeals were put up overnight on Thursday as relatives became increasingly distraught about their loved ones.

A criminal investigation led by a senior detective from Scotland Yard's homicide and major crime command is under way with calls for 'corporate manslaughter' arrests to be made.

Pictures showing the charred insides of a flat in the tower block reveal blackened appliances lined up against the wall while charred possessions are scattered across the floor.

Meanwhile, experts have said sprinklers could have been fitted in the tower for £200,000, but Nick Paget-Brown, the Tory leader of Kensington and Chelsea Council, said there was not a 'collective view' among residents in favour of installing them.

One of the first victims was named as 23-year-old Syrian refugee Mohammed Alhajali, with the Syria Solidarity Campaign director Kareen El Beyrouty launching a campaign towards funeral costs.

An appeal said: 'Mohammed Alhajali undertook a dangerous journey to flee war in Syria, only to meet death here in the UK, in his own home. His dream was to be able to go back home one day and rebuild Syria.'

Posters appealing for information on the missing have been put up around the area as families try to track down loved ones

Local people have written on a wall of condolences set up in the area and left candles and floral tributes to those who died

Candles were left by a tribute wall to the victims. Many have written angry messages calling for justice for those killed

A young girl from west London is taken to leave a rose at the wall of condolence set up to remember those who died

Prime Minister Theresa May, who has faced criticism for failing to meet survivors when she visited the scene on Thursday, has ordered a full public inquiry into the disaster in response to mounting anger that the fire might have been preventable.

Mr Khan has demanded an interim report to be published this summer and for the inquiry to examine whether the block was refurbished safely.

More than £1 million has been raised to help those affected by the fire, with more than 60 tonnes of donations collected by one local mosque.

How MailOnline readers can donate to a charity helping the Grenfell Tower fire victims The Grenfell Tower fire has prompted an extraordinary outpouring of support from Britons as they try to help the victims both financially and with gifts of food, clothing and other essentials. And MailOnline readers can donate to a charity co-ordinating efforts to help those whose lives were devastated by clicking here. The money will go to the Kensington & Chelsea Foundation, the company’s local charity partner. The foundation is coordinating a major funding appeal with support from London Funders and the London Emergency Trust Fund, and has set up a donation page on its website. Every penny raised on the site will go directly to charities funding the relief effort in the local community, both for those who lost loved-ones and those who lost their homes and all their possessions. Readers can also donate via cheque. Please make cheques payable to ‘The Kensington & Chelsea Foundation’ and send to: Grenfell Tower Appeal, The Kensington & Chelsea Foundation, 111–117 Lancaster Road, London W11 1QT. The gutted block is just over a mile from the MailOnline and Daily Mail offices in Kensington, West London, known as Northcliffe House. Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT) chairman Lord Rothermere and chief executive Paul Zwillenberg last night announced a £100,000 donation to the charity. Advertisement

Artist living in Grenfell Tower with her mother is named as fourth victim to have perished in the inferno after MP described her as 'a beautiful soul'

An artist whose work is currently being shown at the Venice Biennale has been named as the fourth victim of the Grenfell Tower fire.

Heartbroken family members of Khadija Saye, 24, confirmed she was killed when fire ripped through the building where she lived on Tuesday night.

Ms Saye was in her flat on the 20th floor, with her mother Mary Mendy, who is thought to be in her 50s and is still missing.

Ms Saye was last heard from at 3am when she was direct messaging from her flat, as her phone was not working. But friends were unable to find her in the aftermath of the blaze.

Labour MP David Lammy, who previously put out a plea to find Ms Saye, posted online: 'May you rest in peace Khadija Saye. God bless your beautiful soul. My heart breaks today. I mourn the tragic loss of a wonderful young woman.'

Syrian refugee Mohammad Alhajali, 23, was yesterday named as having also died in the blaze after he and his brother became separated as they scrambled to escape the blaze.

Engineering student Mr Alhajali, who fled his war-torn home of Daraa three years ago, was confirmed by family and friends today as having died in yesterday's fire in West London which killed at least 17 people.

But his older brother Omar, a 25-year-old business student, survived the blaze and is now in a stable condition, recovering in hospital. His family were earlier said to have been 'worried sick' about the two siblings.

Italian couple Gloria Trevisan and Marco Gottardi made final phone calls to their families as the flames closed in on their flat.

Family lawyer Maria Cristina Sandrin said: 'I've heard the recording of Gloria talking to her mother and there is no hope to find them alive.'

The lawyer said the families wanted to bring the couple's remains home to Italy, but added: 'We don't know in what condition we will find the bodies, if we will find the bodies.'

Mr Gottardi's father Giannino told Italian newspaper Il Mattino di Padova: 'In the first call Marco told us not to worry, that everything was under control, that basically we must not worry.

'He was trying to minimise what happened, probably not to unsettle us.

'But in the second call – and I can't get this out of my head – he said there was smoke, that so much smoke was rising.'

Celebrated artist Khadija Saye, who lived on the 20th floor of west London tower, was the fourth victim to be named today

Student Mohammad Alhajali (left), 23, was the first victim named yesterday. His brother Omar (right), 25, managed to escape the blaze and is recovering in hospital

Italian couple Gloria Trevisan and Marco Gottardi lived on the 23rd floor of the tower block and had been in London for three months working, relatives said. They phoned their families in the their final

A family lawyer said Ms Trevisan told her mother 'goodbye', before adding: 'Thank you mother for what you have done for me'

Fears grow for the missing: Entire families, pensioners and schoolchildren are among those not heard from Fears are growing for the scores of people who have not been heard from since the devastating blaze on Tuesday night, who include a six-month-old baby. The baby girl's mother Farah Hamdan and father Omar Belkadi have also not been seen since the fire but her older sisters, eight-year-old Malek Belkadi and Tamzin, six, were found in a London hospital. A family of six are also missing after they were caught up in the blaze. Relatives are searching for Nadia, 29, and Bassem Choucair, 38, their three young girls, Mierna, 13, Zaynab, ten, and Fatima, three, and grandmother Sirra. Five-year-old Isaac Shawo was also lost as his family tried to flee their 18th floor flat. He was holding the hand of a neighbour but disappeared as his parents and brother Luca, three, stumbled down a fire escape. Farah Hamdan and her six-month-old baby Leena (right) are among the missing, along with Ms Hamdan's husband Omar Belkadi. Jessica Urbano (centre) is among the missing. Her cousin is trying to find her. Family members are also trying to find Dennis Murphy (right) Mariem Elgwahry (pictured) has not been seen by friends since 2am yesterday morning. Mirna, Fatima and Zainab Choucair (centre) are said to have been in the building with their mother, Nadia (right), father Bassem and grandmother Sirra Worried relatives are appealing for information on Ali Yawar (left), Nurhuda El-Wahabi (centre) and Yasin El-Wahabi (right) Saber Neda (left), who lived on the top floor, is feared dead. Mo Tuccu (centre) has not been seen and there are fears for Sheila Smith Rania Ibrham and her daughters are missing, as is Mary Mendy, who lived on the 20th floor, and Iranian Hamid Kani (right) Zainab Dean (left) lived on the 14th floor along with her son Jeremiah, 2 (centre). Hesham Rahman (right) lived on the 20th floor Tony Disson, 66, (left) was last in contact with his family at 3am and still inside the building. Steve Power (centre) is also thought to be missing, as is Fathaya Alsanousi (right) was stuck in her 23rd floor flat with her son Abu Feras, 38, and daughter Esra Ibrahim, 35. Advertisement

Queen and Prince William are met with applause as they arrive at rescue centre to visit survivors of the Grenfell Tower disaster

The Queen and grandson Prince William were met with applause when they dropped in to an emergency shelter in West London this morning to meet the devastated survivors of the Grenfell Tower disaster.

Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by HRH The Duke of Cambridge, visited the Westway Sports Centre in White City - a venue that has been a focal point for efforts to support those affected by the deadly inferno inside the high rise.

The royal visitors met volunteers, local residents and community representatives while visiting the centre which is in the shadow of the charred remains of the building in west London.

The Queen spoke to volunteers and members of the emergency services dealing with the Grenfell Tower disaster today

The Queen and Prince William signed a book of condolence in front of a wall pasted with missing posters for those feared lost

Outside, crowds applauded members of the London Fire Brigade, Metropolitan Police and London Ambulance Service as they lined up to be thanked for their bravery by the royal visitors

The visit was slightly tarnished by a heckler who shouted, 'What about the children?', at the Queen and Prince William as they left, but The Duke held his hand up in a calm manner and told the man not to worry, reassuring him that they would return.

Talking to MailOnline, the desperate local man, who held up pictures of his friend's children who were caught up in the inferno, said: 'The whole family were inside at the time of the fire. I live close so I saw what happened.'

Her Majesty was shown around the centre by a volunteer as they walked past mountains of donated food and boxes of clothes sent in to help those who lost everything in the horror blaze.

The Royal visitors spent more than 40 minutes at the centre before leaving in a Range Rover when a moment of controversy occurred.

The Queen was speaking to the last policeman before leaving as Prince William was stood waiting when a man started heckling them.