Those who lost their lives in the tragic Grenfell Tower disaster are to be remembered on the last anniversary before the tower comes down. Grenfell United will hold a Silent Walk for the eighth anniversary of the Grenfell Tragedy which claimed the lives of 72 people.
The Met Police investigation into the “avoidable tragedy” remains ongoing. It is likely this will be the last anniversary to take place while the tower is still up, with work set to begin to take down the 23-storey building in a few months time.
While the Grenfell Tower Inquiry finished in February this year, some of the survivors do not want the tower taken down until there are criminal prosecutions against those responsible for the tragedy.
Survivors and the bereaved will complete a silent walk from Notting Hill Methodist Church to the tower today at 6pm. Once they arrive there will be speeches as the tower is lit up by 72 beams of green light to remember each life lost.
There will also be speeches outside the tower. Those marching will wear green – the colour associated with the tragedy’s remembrance.
London Fire Brigade has said that it completed every recommendation directed at the brigade in phase one of the inquiry. It has also introduced new policies and ways of working especially in response to fires in high-rise buildings, says the force.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Today we pause to remember the 72 people who lost their lives, and all those whose lives were changed forever by the horrific Grenfell Tower fire.
“Eight years on and the road to justice and change has been far too long. The publication of the final Grenfell Inquiry report last year was an important step towards correcting the catastrophic failures exposed by the tragedy, and all those responsible have more to do to ensure all lessons are learned.
“Every Londoner deserves to live in a safe home, something that Grenfell Tower residents were cruelly deprived of. I stand in solidarity with the bereaved, survivors and residents and commend their strength and courage as their long fight for justice continues. The most fitting tribute to the people who died, their loved ones and those who survived is to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again.”
How did the fire spread?
A fire broke out just before 1am, on June 14, 2017 in the kitchen of a fourth floor flat at the 23-storey Grenfell Tower in North Kensington. The blaze raced up the exterior of the building within minutes, before spreading to all four sides.
65 people were rescued from the building by firefighters. However, some people went upwards to seek refuge on the upper floors.
The stay put advice given to people left in the tower was abandoned in favour of advising people to “make efforts to leave the building” at 2.47am. Counsel to the Grenfell inquiry Richard Millet QC told the June 2018 hearing that 144 people managed to evacuate before 1.38am but only 36 were able to escape after the stay put advice was abandoned.
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