I pulled out rescue teamsToday, Friday, on the site building collapse A 10-storey building in southwestern Iran, five more bodies were buried under the rubble, bringing the death toll from the disaster to 24, according to Iranian state television.
ISNA news agency quoted the governor of Abadan, Ehsan Abbaspour, as saying on Friday that the death toll had reached 24, an increase of five casualties from that announced yesterday.
On Monday the tower collapsed in Metropol Building, was under construction in the city of Abadan. 37 people were rescued, three of whom are still receiving treatment in hospital. It is not yet clear how many people were buried under the rubble.
Iranian Vice President Mohammad Mokhber went to Abadan and visited the site of the accident on Friday.
Authorities arrested 11 suspects in a broad investigation, including the city’s mayor.
The fatal collapse raised questions regarding the safety of similar buildings in the country, and highlighted the continuing crisis of construction projects in the country, which witnessed other disasters like it, especially as it is one of the earthquake-prone countries.
Officials in Abadan referred to “ignorance of technical standards” and “negligence in construction” during construction.
The building had only been granted permission to build six floors, but four different floors had been added.
Accountability demands are increasing
Hundreds of residents of Khuzestan province in southwestern Iran took to the streets Thursday night, demanding accountability for those responsible for the collapse of a building in the city of Abadan.
Pictures and videos published by Fars Agency on its website on Friday showed hundreds of people in the streets of Abadan on Thursday night, commemorating the mourning ceremonies for the victims and the missing by beating traditional drums and brass gongs.
The agency reported that some of the participants in the rally chanted slogans such as “Down with the incompetent official” and saluted the Metropole dead.
The streets of the city of Khorramshahr in the same governorate witnessed similar movements, during which the residents expressed their sympathy with the families of the victims and the missing, and demanded a “conclusive and serious” trial for those responsible.
State television indicated that the streets of Abadan witnessed movement on Wednesday night, once morest the backdrop of the collapse of the building.
More than four days following the massive building collapsed, rescue teams are still recovering bodies from the rubble.
The collapse of the building in Abadan brought to mind an incident that occurred in early 2017, which was the collapse of the “Plasco” building in central Tehran, a shopping center dating back to the early 1960s, which killed 26 people.
(Associated Press, AFP)
