Grenfell families urge UK government to preserve tower's walls bearing handprints

FILE PHOTO: A crane operates at Grenfell Tower, as the west London building is being gradually dismantled with the process expected to last for two years until 2027, in London, Britain, January 16, 2026. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes/File Photo

LONDON, Feb 26 (Reuters) - ⁠Family members of those who died in London's 2017 Grenfell Tower fire called ⁠on Thursday for the government to preserve sections of its stairwell walls ‌bearing handprints they believe belong to victims or survivors.

A fire ripped through the 24-storey social housing block in one of London's wealthiest areas early on June 14, 2017, killing 72 people. Deconstruction of the tower began ​in September last year and is expected to take ⁠two years.