Death Toll From Building Collapse Rises to 32
TEHRAN -- The death toll from a collapsed building in the southwestern Iranian city of Abadan has risen to 32, the official IRNA news agency said on Monday.
It said three more bodies had been pulled from the rubble of an under-construction tower that collapsed a week ago.
Rescue workers were still clearing the debris of the 10-storey building and searching for more victims under the toppled part of the Metropol Building. Out of 37 injured people, two remain hospitalized.
Authorities investigating the disaster have detained Abadan’s current and past mayors and several other municipal employees, amid accusations that safety warnings were ignored. So far, 13 people have also been arrested for building violations.
The deadly collapse has raised questions about the safety of similar buildings in the country and underscored an ongoing crisis in Iranian construction projects. The collapse reminded many of the 2017 fire and collapse of the iconic Plasco building in Tehran that killed 26 people.
Protesters took to the streets of Abadan over the past week, leading to sporadic skirmishes with police which have been deployed to maintain order and prevent seditious manipulation of the mishap.
The Fars news agency said mourners gathered at the site of the collapse on Sunday night when a group of protesters attacked the national television’s camera crew, forcing police to disperse people to restore order and security.
Tasnim, another news agency, reported more bodies are believed to be under the building.
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has ordered an investigation into the disaster and “exemplary punishment” of those accountable.