Firefighters searching the smoldering ruin in west London have recovered six bodies from the 24-story Grenfell Tower, while 11 others have been located but can not yet be removed from the gutted structure.
Of the 17 victims found by emergency services so far, six were outside the tower, while it has not yet been deemed safe enough to recover the 11 bodies found inside.
In her statement May said: "We need to know what happened, we need to have an explanation of this".
There was a large police presence as Mrs May met a group of victims, residents, volunteers and community leaders at St Clement's Church close to the scene of the horrific blaze on Friday afternoon.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan also visited the site on Thursday.
Engineering experts have speculated that outside insulation panels, or cladding, installed on the 24-story Grenfell Tower may have helped the fire spread rapidly from one floor to the next.
The residence is believed to have had as many as 600 people inside it when the fire broke out on one of the lower floors.
"The recovery of victims from inside the building is enormously challenging, but it is our absolute priority above everything else to recover and identify the victims and let the families know", Metropolitan Police Commander Stuart Cundy said.
One of the first victims was named as 23-year-old Syrian refugee Mohammed Alhajali, with the Syria Solidarity Campaign director Kareen El Beyrouty launching a campaign towards funeral costs.
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A do-over chip and two putts later, Hadwin's scorecard had its first double bogey of the championship. I came in this week with no expectations really at all", said the 22-year-old.
The protests are a reflection of the anger in the community following the devastating fire that killed 30 people.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, though some have mentioned the explosion of an appliance could be the cause.
- How did the fire spread so fast? While members of her party have suggested security issues contributed to her lack of engagement with the public, residents seemed unwilling to accept the explanation.
The government has ordered a judge-led inquiry into Wednesday's disaster, which is under pressure to act quickly.
Residents and victims have expressed outrage at Prime Minister Theresa May, who visited the site the day before without meeting with local residents. "You have to be prepared to receive people's emotions, and not be so frightened about people", he said.
The official fire service advice for residents to stay in their homes and use towels to block out smoke while awaiting help has also come under scrutiny.
Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by grandson Prince William, paid a visit to the Grenfell Tower this morning where the number of missing is estimated to be around 76.
The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents more than 370 councils in England and Wales, said authorities have been "on the front foot" to carry out reviews on their high-rise buildings since the tragedy unfolded.
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