Three killed in fire in Honolulu's Marco Polo Tower, blaze spread due to lack of sprinkler system

[caption id=“attachment_3819591” align=“alignnone” width=“940”] Flames ripped through three floors of a Honolulu tower block, killing three people including a mother and her son on Friday. The blaze at the 36-story Marco Polo condominium complex sent thick black smoke pouring over the city. AP[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_3819597” align=“alignnone” width=“940”] “You could feel the heat, and I’m several floors away and you could feel the heat," said resident Ron Chiarottino. “The smoke just, when you hear of people say the smoke just overwhelmed me, I know just what they’re talking about now.” AP[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_3819599” align=“alignnone” width=“940”] Firefighters sprayed water onto the flames from nearby balconies and brought them under control at about 6.30 pm local time, four hours after the fire began, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell told reporters. AP[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_3819601” align=“alignnone” width=“940”] A mother and her son were among the three people who perished on the 26th floor, where the fire started. At least 12 other people were injured. The blaze quickly spread to the two floors above. Reuters[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_3819605” align=“alignnone” width=“940”] Fire chief Manuel Neves told reporters that the building did not have a sprinkler system. More than 100 firefighters tackled the fire and officers were conducting a room-by-room search, a task that could take several hours, he said. “We don’t have any information for us to believe that there are problems with the structure,” Neves added. AP[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_3819609” align=“alignnone” width=“940”] In London, at least 80 people were killed when a fire gutted the 24-story Grenfell Tower block on 14 June. That building also did not have a sprinkler system. AP[/caption]