Grenfell Families Mark 9th Anniversary for 72 Dead as Tower Dismantling Deepens Distress
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 14
Grenfell Families Mark 9th Anniversary for 72 Dead as Tower Dismantling Deepens Distress
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 14
Summary
Seventy-two candles were lit at Sunday's Grenfell memorial as bereaved families marked nine years since the 2017 fire and voiced renewed strain over the long fight for justice.
Damel Carayol, who lost his niece and cousin, said the floor-by-floor dismantling of the 23-storey tower has made this year "particularly difficult" for survivors and relatives already exhausted by years of campaigning.
The demolition began in September 2025 and is expected to take two years, with the site due to become a memorial; Carayol said campaigners are also pressing for unsafe cladding to be removed from other homes.
The criminal investigation remains unresolved: the Met's £150 million Operation Northleigh has 57 people and 20 organisations under suspicion, with charging decisions promised before next year's 10th anniversary.