Rescue workers trying to find bodies trapped in collapsed Tehran high-rise building

News ID: 7360

Iran » Iran

Publish Date: 20:00 - 21 January 2017

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Rescue workers trying to find bodies trapped in collapsed Tehran high-rise building

Iranian rescue workers are still trying to find bodies of victims and possible alive individuals in the collapsed Plasco high-rise in Tehran, while the fire has not been put out yet.

The 17-story building collapsed after huge fire Thursday morning. 15 fire fighters trapped in fire inside the building after its collapse were killed.

Spokesman of Fire Fighting Center said overall, 25 people have been martyred or went missing, 15 of which are fire fighters and bodies of two of them have been taken out from rubble.

Iranian intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi said there is no document suggesting that there has been a sabotage behind the incident.

"We are considering all evidence and the required investigation will be made in case there is a terrorist attack,” he said.

In early hours of the fire, it was presumed to be a terrorist attack, but no sign of terrorist attack was found after investigating all evidence.

Rescuers have been using life detection devices to locate possible survivors, and, some reports say there may still be some survivors.

"We are very concerned for those who have been trapped under the rubble,” said President Hassan Rouhani as visiting the building. "We hope we will have some survivors.”

"This can be a lesson and a warning for all the officials to provide more safety for all citizens. This is a civil right of all people,” he said.

Rouhani also expressed condolences to those who have lost loved ones in the incident and praised the firefighters and rescue teams for putting their lives at risk to rescue others.

He underlined the need to take the necessary measures to compensate business owners and workers who used to work at the building, which served as a trade center, for their material loss and the loss of their income in the run-up to the Persian New Year.

There were 600 business units and clothing production workshops in Plasco, most of which did not have insurance coverage.

Nearly 3,000 people have lost their jobs as a result of the building’s total destruction.

The Plasco building was Iran’s oldest high-rise. Rising 17 stories above the ground, it had been built in the early 1960s and was the country’s tallest building at the time of construction.

Rouhani also touched on the need for "comprehensive plans” to renovate old structures across the country and said, "We can get entrepreneurs, investors, and banks onboard to help renovate these buildings… The plan is underway and it needs to be precipitated.”

The Iranian president was accompanied in the visit by several ministers, advisers, and other senior officials.

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Rescue workers trying to find bodies trapped in collapsed Tehran high-rise building