Some survivors of Grenfell fire angry at plans to demolish death trap tower block

The 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in London claimed the lives of 72 people. Recently, the British government announced plans to demolish the remains of the apartment building, a move that has sparked strong opposition from some victims' families. They hope to preserve the building as a memorial to commemorate the deceased, ensuring their memory lives on.

British Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner met with bereaved families and survivors this week to discuss the government's decision. A formal announcement is expected to be released on Friday, outlining the next steps. The Grenfell United, representing some of the victims' families, claims that the government has ignored their voices in this critical decision.

Grenfell United stated: "Angela Rayner failed to provide a rationale for demolishing the tower, and she also refused to confirm how many bereaved families and survivors were consulted during the recent short four-week consultation." This lack of transparency has further fueled the families' concerns and distrust of the government's motives.

The remains of the 24-story apartment building stand in the North Kensington neighborhood of West London, serving as a constant reminder of the lives lost in the rapidly spreading fire in the early hours of June 14, 2017. While some survivors consider the wreckage a fitting memorial, others believe that rebuilding the site would help the community heal and move forward.

Government officials have declined to discuss their decision prior to the formal announcement. The government had previously stated that the Grenfell Tower site would remain unchanged until at least the eighth anniversary of the disaster in June. A public inquiry into the disaster concluded that decades of failures by the government, regulators, and industry had turned the apartment building into a "death trap." The inquiry found that the tragedy had "no single cause" but was the result of dishonest companies, weak regulators, and complacent government authorities collectively allowing the building to be covered in flammable cladding, ultimately turning a small refrigerator fire into the deadliest fire on British soil since World War II.