Police revealed today that they have received around 400 calls reporting people missing following the Grenfell Tower fire.
During a short appearance, Metropolitan Police Commander Stuart Cundy confirmed that there had been hundreds of calls following the launch of a criminal investigation.
He downplayed the figure, saying it added up to more people than actually lived in the block.
One person was reported missing 46 times, he added.
Police have also confirmed that they fear they may not be able to identify everybody killed in the blaze.
Six bodies have so far been recovered from the gutted 24-floor tower, while 11 have been located inside but cannot be removed.
All six recovered were found outside the building, Mr Cundy said.
They have all been taken to Westminster Mortuary.
The death toll from the disaster is 17, but that figure is expected rise significantly.
Metropolitan Police Commander Stuart Cundy said: ‘It may be – and I just don’t know – it may be that ultimately some victims remain unidentified.
‘I won’t know that until we’ve gone through the full recovery from Grenfell Tower and we know exactly what we’ve got and I anticipate that is going to take a considerable period of time.
‘Not just the immediate recovery of the bodies we have found but the full search of that whole building we could be talking weeks we could be talking months – it is a very long process.
‘There is a risk that sadly we may not be able to identify everybody.’
Every victim currently being treated in hospital has now been identified and reunited with their families, detective superintendent Fiona McCormack added.
His comments came as Prime Minister Theresa May ordered a full public inquiry into the disaster.
The criminal investigation into the fire comes amid increasing political pressure that those involved in the building’s recent redevelopment should face prosecution.
We as the police have started an investigation, I mentioned when I was down at the scene this morning that one of our very senior investigating officers is leading that for us,’ the commander said.
‘We as the police, we investigate criminal offences – I am not sitting here and saying there are criminal offences that have been committed, that’s why you do an investigation, to establish it.
‘This will need to be a lot of work between us and other investigating agencies to establish what has happened and why and that is going to take a considerable period of time.’
During the first day of the investigation, the police’s casualty bureau was said to have received 5,000 calls.
