A fire that engulfed a London tower block killing at least 79 people started in a Hotpoint fridge freezer, London police said today.

Police Detective Superintendent Fiona McCormack said the Hotpoint model, FF175BP, was not subject to recall and that the manufacturer was doing further tests.

Police said both the insulation and tiles used in cladding at the tower block failed all post-fire safety checks. Police said they were considering manslaughter among the possible criminal offences that may have been committed.

The government is urgently conducting safety checks on an estimated 600 high-rise buildings in England which have exterior cladding panels after at least 79 people died when fire consumed a London tower block last week, officials said.

Cladding, added during a refurbishment of Grenfell Tower, may have played a part in the June 14 disaster when flames sped through the 24-storey residential building, trapping people inside, residents have said.

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