Dozens of people have been killed in a fire and collapse of an iconic building in Iran’s capital Tehran.
The Plasco high-rise in downtown Tehran caught fire on Thursday, with more than 200 firefighters attending. Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf initially said 20 were killed. Tehran Fire Department spokesman Jalal Maleki confirmed the figure, but said no final number could be given as other firefighters were missing and presumed dead, no final figure could be given on fatalities.
He, however, was quoted by the IRIB News Agency as confirming the 20 fatality figure, emphasizing that this was not a final figure because a number of firefighters were trapped under the rubble as rescue operation to get them out continued.
State news agency IRNA said more than 200 injured people are being treated in hospitals.
Mohsen Hamedani of the Tehran Governor General’s office said initial investigations suggest the fire was caused by a short circuit in the electrical system: “Reports that the blaze was of a security nature are not correct and the incident was the result of totally natural causes.”
The high-rise’s collapse about 11:30 a.m. was shown live on State TV. Nearby buildings, including the embassies of Turkey, Germany, and the UK, were evacuated.
The Plasco tower, inaugurated in 1962 and named after a plastics manufacturing company, was the tallest building in the city at the time of its construction. It included shopping centers and clothing workshops.
The Supreme Leader and President Hassan Rouhani have expressed condolences. Rouhani has ordered Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli to launch an inquiry, with Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani ordering three Parliamentary commissions to assist with investigations.
