Inquest opens into deadly 2009 tower-block blaze

A "super-inquest" kicked off today into the 2009 fire that killed three children and three adults in a south London tower block.

The blaze broke out after a 10-year-old television caught fire on the ninth floor.

But until now it has been unclear why the six victims, all living on the 11th floor in Lakanal House, Camberwell, were unable to escape.

Dayana Francisquini, 26, and her six and three-year-old children, were in a flat with friend Helen Udoaka, 34, and her three-week-old baby when the fire started.

A lawyer representing the Francisquini family said: "There has been a long delay in getting to this point and the relatives are hoping evidence will at last come to light that gets to the truth.

"The relatives want to know why their loved ones died.

"The family has wanted answers to these questions for a long time. Hopefully the family will now get the answers they want."

At the time residents described the layout of the flats as "a maze."

The inquest, which is expected to last until March, started looking at evidence including statements from survivors and and recordings of 999 calls made by victims of the blaze.