By JILL LAWLESS, The Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — A devastating report into the deadly fire at a London skyscraper was released Wednesday, saying decades of neglect by government, regulators and industry turned Grenfell Tower into a “death trap” that killed 72 people.

A multi-year public inquiry into the 2017 fire found there was no “single cause” of the tragedy, but said a combination of rogue companies, weak or incompetent regulators and a complacent government led to the building being clad in flammable cladding, turning a small flat fire into the deadliest on British soil since World War II.

The head of the inquiry, retired judge Martin Moore-Bick, said all the deaths could have been avoided and “those who lived in the tower have been let down for many years” by many people and organisations.

“Everyone contributed to this in one way or another, in most cases through incompetence, but in some cases through dishonesty and greed,” he said.

While the report may give survivors some of the answers they have long sought, they must wait to learn whether anyone responsible will be held accountable. Police will review the findings before deciding whether to press charges.

The fire broke out in the early morning hours of June 14, 2017, in a fourth-floor apartment and spread like a fuse throughout the 25-story building, fanned by flammable cladding panels on the tower’s exterior walls.

The tragedy has shocked the nation and raised questions about safety failures and other failures by officials and businesses that contributed to so many deaths.

“How is it possible that in 21st century London, a reinforced concrete building, which is itself fireproof, has become a death trap?” the authors of the report ask.

The conclusion is: “There is no simple answer to this question.”

Grenfell Tower, built of concrete in the 1970s, was clad in aluminium and polyethylene during renovations before the fire – a layer of foam insulation covered by two sheets of aluminium placed around a layer of polyethylene, a flammable plastic polymer that melts and drips when heated.

The report was highly critical of the companies that clad the building, finding they had engaged in “systematic dishonesty” by manipulating safety tests and distorting results to claim the material was safe.

He said insulation manufacturer Celotex was unscrupulous, while another insulation company, Kingspan, had “cynically exploited the industry’s lack of detailed knowledge”. He said cladding panel manufacturer Arconic had “concealed the true extent of the threat from the market”.

The report found that the building’s flammable cladding was used because it was cheap and because of “the incompetence of the organisation and individuals involved in the renovation” – including architects, engineers and contractors – who all believed that safety was the responsibility of someone else.

The inquiry found that failures abounded because the bodies responsible for enforcing UK building standards were weak, local authorities were disinterested and a “smug” Conservative UK government ignored safety warnings as it pledged to deregulate.

The inquiry held more than 300 public hearings and examined about 1,600 witness statements. A preliminary report published in 2019, examining the events of the night of the fire, criticized the fire department for telling residents to stay in their apartments and wait for help. The advice was changed almost two hours after the fire broke out, too late for many people on upper floors to escape.

London Fire Brigade came under further criticism for a “chronic lack of effective management and leadership”, with the report saying firefighters were not adequately trained to deal with the tower block blaze and were given old communications equipment that did not work properly.

The Grenfell tragedy has prompted a rethink of inequality in the UK. Grenfell was a council estate in one of London’s wealthiest areas – a stone’s throw from the expensive boutiques and elegant homes of Notting Hill – and many of the victims were working-class people with immigrant roots. The victims came from 23 countries and included taxi drivers and architects, a poet, a celebrated young artist, pensioners and 18 children.

The report said the investigation “found no evidence that any of the decisions that led to the unsafe building or the catastrophic spread of the fire were motivated by racial or social prejudice.”

In the wake of the fire, the UK government banned the use of composite metal cladding on all new buildings and ordered similar flammable cladding removed from hundreds of tower blocks across the country. But it is expensive work, and work has not been carried out on some residential buildings because of disputes over who should pay.

The report made a number of recommendations, including tougher fire safety regulations, the establishment of a national fire and rescue college and the establishment of an independent regulator for the construction industry to replace the current mishmash of bodies.

The ruined tower, which stood for months after the fire like a black tombstone on London’s western skyline, still stands, covered with a white sheet. A green heart and the words “Grenfell forever in our hearts” are emblazoned on top.

Police are investigating dozens of people and companies and are considering charges including corporate and individual manslaughter. But they say it is unlikely any charges will be filed before the end of 2026.

“I can’t imagine the impact such a lengthy police investigation will have on the bereaved and survivors, but we only have one chance to get it right,” said Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy of the Metropolitan Police.

Sandra Ruiz, whose 12-year-old niece, Jessica Urbano Ramirez, died in the fire, said: “I don’t think there’s justice without putting people behind bars.”

“Our lives were shattered that night. People need to be held accountable,” she said. “People who made decisions that put profit above the safety of others should be behind bars.”