HIGH EMOTION AS GOVERNMENT PLANS GRENFELL TOWER DEMOLITION – Angela Rayner, announced her decision to a room of families and survivors
London’s Grenfell Tower, which was engulfed in flames more than seven years ago in a disaster that killed 72 people, will be demolished, bereaved families and survivors have been told.
The fire ripped through the 23-story social housing block in one of London’s richest areas during the early hours of June 14, 2017 – Britain’s deadliest blaze in a residential building since World War Two.
Grenfell Next of Kin (GNK), which represents relatives of nearly half of those who died, said Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, announced her decision to a room of families and survivors in a meeting. According to the group, the demolition of the tower, which remains standing but covered in protective wrap, will only start after the eighth anniversary of the tragedy in June this year.
Engineers advising the government said the tower structure would worsen over time, and that the building or part of it that was significantly damaged should be carefully taken down.
A public inquiry into the fire, which published its final report last year, blamed the disaster on failings by the government, construction industry and, most of all, the firms involved in fitting the exterior with flammable cladding.
Several survivors and families have said the inquiry has delayed any possible criminal proceedings.
