UK's Grenfell Tower to be demolished more than seven years after blaze

LONDON: London's Grenfell Tower, which was engulfed in flames more than seven years ago in a disaster that killed 72 people, will be demolished, campaigners representing bereaved families and survivors said on Thursday (Feb 6).

The fire ripped through the 23-storey social housing block in one of London's richest areas during the early hours of Jun 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 Britain's deputy prime minister Angela Rayner announced her decision to a room full of families and survivors in a meeting on Wednesday evening.

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 structure of the tower would worsen over time, and that the building or part of it that was significantly damaged should be carefully taken down.

"Do we wish the whole tower could stand forever? Yes. Is that an option? Not from a structural point of view," GNK said.

The department of housing, communities and local government did not immediately reply to a request for comment. It previously said a decision would be announced this month.

Grenfell United said the voices of bereaved families and survivors were not heard or considered by Rayner during what they described as a short four-week consultation.

"Ignoring the voices of bereaved on the future of our loved ones' gravesite is disgraceful and unforgivable," it said.

A commission looking at a future memorial on the site of the disaster said in its 2023 report that if the tower came down it should be "dismantled with care and respect".

A final design for the memorial is expected by spring 2026, and construction could begin later that year.