Ronan Point

Ronan Point was a 22-storey tower block in Canning Town, part of the 1960s wave of prefabricated high-rise housing built for London families. It stood in the London Borough of Newham, named after the deputy mayor who chaired the housing committee. The block used the Danish Larsen & Nielsen system, with large concrete panels cast off-site and bolted together. Construction finished in March 1968, just two months before the disaster. Its modernist design aimed to provide quick, affordable homes for people moving from condemned properties. The tower partially collapsed on 16 May 1968 after a gas explosion in flat 90 blew out a load-bearing wall. Four people died and seventeen were injured when the corner of the building fell. Ivy Hodge, who lit the stove that morning, survived despite being knocked unconscious. Investigators found the gas leak came from a cracked nut on her stove, tightened too hard during installation. The disaster exposed flaws in both design and construction, shaking public trust in high-rise living. A government inquiry led by Hugh Griffiths recommended stricter rules on gas installations and structural checks for tall buildings. After the collapse, Ronan Point was partly rebuilt with stronger joints and new regulations were introduced. Yet many residents refused to return, fearing further danger. In 1984 the council evacuated the block after architect Sam Webb warned of future collapse risks. When demolition began in 1986, inspectors found bolts missing, concrete cracks and rubbish stuffed into gaps. The building’s defects showed how poor workmanship and weak connections had threatened lives. Its story remains a turning point in British building safety laws.