Ask HN: How can we use tech to prevent another Grenfell tower fire?

1 pointsafricajam9y ago1 comments

Just a few days ago in the heart of London, a 24-storey tower block burnt down killing at least 30 people. It has since emerged that residents were aware of many fire-risk issues but did not have an effective way to publicise them. I am wondering what tools the residents could have used to prove that the building really was at risk. If I lived in a tower block right now I'd be desperately seeking information on how to evaluate the fire risk and fix any issues. If there aren't any solutions out there, this could be a worthwhile project for someone to work on.

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Nomentatus9y ago

Tech is actually a big part of the problem - inequality is driven by anti-monopoly laws not being enforced for decades; power and money aren't trickling down to the poor so they get what they get - housing that's cheap deathtraps from fire, or lack of earthquake proofing, or Flint-like water.

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