Grenfell Tower in London, ravaged by fire in 2017, to be demolished

Grenfell Tower in London, ravaged by a fire in 2017 in which 72 people died, is to be demolished, two victims' groups have reported, who are divided on the issue.

According to Grenfell Next of Kin (GNK) and Grenfell United, the announcement was made to them on Wednesday evening by Deputy First Minister Angela Rayner, who is also the Minister for Housing, at a public meeting.

Asked by AFP, the Ministry of Housing did not wish to confirm the information.

A spokesman said, however, that Ms Rayner had "undertaken that the decision on the future of the tower will first be communicated to the victims' relatives and to the victims themselves".

"This is a deeply personal issue for all involved, and the Deputy Prime Minister is committed to ensuring that their voices remain at the heart of this matter," he added.

On June 14, 2017, fire ravaged this 24-storey tower block occupied by generally modest families, in an upscale district of west London, in the worst residential fire in Great Britain since the Second World War.

The fire took less than half an hour to spread throughout the building, which has a highly combustible façade cladding.

In its statement, the Grenfell Next of Kin association said it would have liked the tower to be maintained as a memorial to the disaster but acknowledged that this solution was not possible for "security reasons".

Grenfell United does not see things the same way. In a short statement, it claims that Angela Rayner has "failed to justify the decision".

She also deplores the fact that the victims and their families were not consulted. "It is shameful and unforgivable to ignore the voices of the bereaved on the future" of this place, she continues.

For Emma O'Connor, who survived the fire, the demolition of the tower could also help erase the traces of this tragedy.

"It seems that what's out of sight is out of mind," she told BBC Radio 4.

"We understand that the tower poses security concerns, but if it can no longer be seen, it will be permanently removed from the minds of those responsible" for the tragedy, she continued.

The future of the tower has been the subject of debate for several years, with some wanting it to remain in place as a reminder of the fire, others wanting it replaced by a memorial.

In early September, an investigation report found that the fire was the result of "decades of failures" by the government and the construction industry.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer apologised "on behalf of the British state".